Water Hazard
by Bellabrew
Summary: The other perp from Grave Danger is back and he's taken Sara. Can the team find her before her time runs out or is it finally too late for GSR?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

**THE WALL**

They could hear the woman screaming, begging for help for her for her baby. Grissom looked at the cinder block wall, there was a small hole, but as much as they tried to budge the surrounding blocks they remained firm. There was no way to get to the trapped victims.

"The hole's large enough I could squeeze through." Sara mentioned quietly. Brass and Grissom turned to look at her.

"We clear the scene then the CSI's go in." Brass reminded her firmly, knowing that sometimes Sara's emotions put her into dangerous situations.

"I know Brass, but I don't think you have any officer's here small enough to get through that."

"Please hurry my baby's not breathing." The woman's voice was getting frantic, it sounded like they were running of options and time. Brass looked at Grissom, silently telling his friend Sara was his employee it was his call.

"Alright Sara you go through." He turned to face her, looking her straight in the eye as he crisply and clearly told her, "Get the baby and hand it back so the EMT's can work on it." She nodded as she undid her vest and pulled off her gun holster, but kept her flashlight. His voice softened as her fingers grazed his as she handed the lot to Grissom. "Just be careful."

"I will." She smiled as she double checked her flashlight before sliding through the hole feet first, then dropping a couple feet to the floor. "I'm through." She called back then started sweeping the light back and forth across the room looking for the mother and child. "Ma'am. I'm Sara Sidle from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. I'm here to help you."

Sara took a couple steps forward still looking for the woman when her light shone on a portable stereo system. The piece of new electronics seemed out of place in the run down building. Taking a step forward to investigate she screamed as the floor gave way underneath her.

"Sara!" Grissom and Brass both called through the hole in the wall. As the flashlight swept the floor they both noticed the trap door.

Then they heard their victim, "Was that how you wanted it mister?"

"Yes!" Gil's blood ran cold as he recognized the voice from Nick's tape. It was followed by a single gun shot.

"Sonofabitch." Brass hissed under his breath. "Somebody get Fire and Rescue here a.s.a.p." Flipping his phone closed, Brass pushed away the memory of Nick's abduction then called through the hole. "Hang on Sara we're coming."

"We need to figure out where that hole goes." Grissom held onto Sara's things, she'd want them back when he found her. "Greg you're with me."

The pair began searching the other rooms looking for evidence or a door, something that would lead them to Sara. Grissom didn't really 'see' the rooms as they processed them. In his mind's eye he saw Sara lying somewhere her emotional walls torn down as she realized she was trapped and was going to die. Seeing her face as she weighed her options, the way she'd way the evidence, contemplating suicide and a quick death rather than enduring fire ants bites and running out of oxygen.

_Hang on Honey we're coming._ The thought becoming a mantra, he silently repeated over and over again. As if by thinking it hard enough and long enough she'd hear him.

"Gil they've broken through." Brass was waiting by the remains of the wall. It had taken nearly half an hour for the firemen to arrive, set-up and then saw through the bricks and mortar. The hole was now big enough they could walk through it. Brass nodded grimly to the CSIs who were wearing matching frowns before he entered the room with his gun drawn. "Sara." He called out as he moved across the room swinging his flashlight and gun. "It's clear."

He noticed that Grissom and Greg entered. Brass heard the older man give instructions, but tuned them out. He was walking around the room when he noticed another hole about two fingers in width at waist level. It seemed odd until he realized what he was looking at. "I got a door."

Grissom inserted his fingers into the door and pulled carefully and slowly torn between wanting to preserve evidence and getting to Sara. Finally it was open, revealing a set of stairs that lead down. Brass stepped through followed by a couple of officers. It took all of Grissom's self-control not to go down there until Brass called up "Its clear." Outwardly he seemed calm and detached as he descended, but Brass knew it was an act, a desperate attempt to maintain control.

"She's not here." Grissom's voice was quiet, but in the silence it seemed very loud. Squatting he looked at the floor, noting the evidence even as Greg photographed it a crumpled white rectangle, picking it up he caught the faint scent. Proof that the hell they'd gone through with Nick might be starting again with Sara. Shoving the white cotton into an evidence bag, he kept looking. Sara was trained in self-defense and she was too stubborn to go quietly. He found her flashlight where she had dropped it.

**THE PACKAGE**

"There was a tunnel in the basement that lead to the house directly behind. It looks like he put Sara into a vehicle of some sort than drove away. The house was far enough away from the Strip we don't have any leads."

Conrad Ecklie walked into the break room carrying the plain brown paper package. "The Courier was at the front desk Brass is questioning him now."

Grissom nodded as he pulled on a set of fresh gloves to take the package into the layout room. He didn't bother to glance back knowing the others had followed him. It was identical to the one they'd gotten about Nick, it was simply addressed to the Las Vegas Crime Lab and noted at the bottom re: Sidle. Slicing open the packaging he found a small white box. Sitting in the center was Sara's necklace and a USB Jump Drive. It was the necklace she'd been wearing a turquoise inlaid silver butterfly, the chain was broken and he wondered if it had been ripped from her throat. The Drive was Identical to the one they'd gotten the first time. Carefully extracting the Drive he handed the box to Catherine. "Let's check for fingerprints, DNA and trace."

She nodded and carried the precious cargo to another lab. While Grissom carried the Drive to the AVLab knowing what was coming and fearing it. Praying to a God he hadn't really believed in years that they'd find Sara in time.

**THE CELL**

Sara regained consciousness with a gasp, ignoring the sharp pain in her head and roaring in her ears to open her eyes. She squinted against the bright lights, mentally taking inventory. Her mouth was dry but she recognized a chemical smell, closing her eyes she tried to place it. "_Ether. The perp's using what he knows._" The words floated back to her. Ether had been used when Nick was abducted. She felt the panic rising at the thought that the sicko who'd put Nick in that clear coffin was back and this time he had her.

The bright light turned off and Sara opened her eyes again taking in her surroundings. The plexiglass wall, the drain in the middle of a tile floor, a hose pumping water into the cell. She could make out the room beyond with a stationary video camera and computer. She was reminded of a Jennifer Lopez movie she'd seen where the serial killer drowned his victims in rooms like this one.

Archie had pressed the mouse button bringing Sara's prison back on screen. Grissom really looked at Sara under the harsh bright light she looked small and pale in her black t-shirt and jeans. She was on the bed sitting cross legged. He watched her eyes tracing every wall, cataloguing everything.

The lights clicked off and Sara swallowed her scream, not liking the idea of being trapped in the dark water. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to remain calm and reminding herself how the team had pulled together and found Nick. She just needed to be calm and patient.

"The rules are the same, except this time they can hear you." She noted absently that the voice had been electronically enhanced. Sitting in the darkness Sara struggled for control, but found it slipping as a single tear rolled down she wiped it away. _Get a grip Sidle_.

Finally the light came back on and she knew the team was watching. "Hey guys I know you're watching this and you're working on finding me. So quick recap I was knocked out at the bottom of the hole so don't know how I got here. " She got up from the bed, "Haven't got a clue where here is." She managed a tight smile.

"I'm not worried because I know Grissom's got you all there working on this." She sniffed, brushing the tear away from the corner of her eye. "Greg's probably brewed up some of the good stuff and you're all doing what we do best, working the problem following the evidence. Boy I could use a cup right about now." The tears were close again and she sniffed, "God I miss you guys." Her voice broke as the light turned off again.

She waited for the light to come back on. "Okay guys, you know I was never the damsel in distress type so I'm looking to see if I can find a way out of here too or maybe a clue that will help you find me." Walking the room she paced off the length and width of the room trying to ignore the slapping of water with each step.

"The room seems to be 8 by 6 by 8 and the water's pumping in at say a gallon a minute." Brushing her hair out of her face, Sara tried to use the time to pull herself together. "Sorry guys I'm not up to doing the math in my head tonight."

She walked over to the clear wall rapping her knuckles against it, "This appears to be some sort of heavy duty Plexiglas. I can see the rest of the room. There's a desk with a computer and a uh video camera. The whole set up kinda reminds me of the interrogation room. I know I'm over talking, but I do that when I'm nervous." Her boots were wet from walking around the room and her toes were getting cold.

"The water's very cold, so hypothermia will set in before drowning can occur. That's good I guess."

Grissom's knuckles were white from clenching his fists. Sara had turned away from the camera, but he'd seen the shaking of her shoulders. Last time he'd seen her shake like that he'd felt helpless to comfort her heart wrenching sobs. Out of his depth, he had only managed to hold her hand. Watching her on the screen he felt even more helpless.

"We'll find you Sara. We'll find her boss." Nick's voice was shakey but determined. It reminded Grissom that he wasn't alone; the whole team was feeling desperate and helpless. Reaching out he squeezed the younger man's shoulder.

"You're right we will."

Ecklie stood in the doorway shaken by what he'd seen both on the screen and in person. As much as he thought Sara was a loose cannon, he'd seen how others responded to her. "There's only one case in Vegas tonight. Day shift will be in soon to help. Anything else you want or need, it's yours."

Grissom nodded. "Thanks Conrad."


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMERS: Afraid I don't own CBS, CSI, any of their affiliates or anything neat and wonderful like them.

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The others had left the room some time ago, leaving Grissom and Archie alone in the AV Lab, but the lab tech was engrossed in trying to trace the websites and servers. Leaving Grissom alone to watch Sara and click the mouse to keep the light on. He wanted to be working with the team helping to locate Sara, but at the moment he needed to stay with her. It seemed like that was always the case when she was involved. He had to battle and balance the want versus the need.

She was over talking, keeping up an almost constant flow of conversation and from reading her lips he was learning more about her in the last couple of hours than he had in the last decade. He knew how she liked her coffee, the sounds she'd make when frustrated, and the way her hand felt on his cheek. The babbling though was filling in the gaps in his knowledge, things he hadn't known, guessed or observed.

Sara paced the room trying to see what options she had. A quick running of her hands over the other walls and she discovered they were sturdy concrete. It would take a lot of force to make a dent in them. Which meant her only choice was figuring how he got her into the cell or working on either the clear wall or the hole the water was coming through.

She weighed the dangers of messing with the hole the water was coming through and decided fooling with it might kill her faster. If she blocked or fiddled with it the hole could expand increasing the amount of water flowing in. Not an outcome she wanted to speed towards. Which didn't leave her with many choices for getting out of here. Sara didn't like her odds with just waiting for the team so she resumed her search.

On one of her passes she accidentally kicked the bed. Wheeling around she studied the room's only piece of furniture. Examining it closely she noticed it was a metal frame. Biting her lip she decided to take action now rather than waiting.

"So did I ever tell you why I majored in Physics. It's because I liked how all the experiments were hands on. In high school we flung eggs off the roof and I was hooked."

Pulling on the end of the metal frame she was surprised when it moved. She pulled off the blankets and mattress. She pulled, shoved and pushed the metal bed frame until it stood on one end. She took a deep breath, "It's time to put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat."

Grissom recognized the quote from Apollo 13's Jim Lovell and was glad she was keeping her sense of humor. Watching as she rocked the bed frame until it slammed forward into the Plexiglas. She ducked back under it and pushed it back into the original position. Again and again she slammed the metal into the Plexiglas. He lost track of the times she did it and the number of times he had to click the mouse button.

She ran her hand over the spot, there was now a scratch, but nothing more. It was obvious to her now it was too thick, too solid to break. Righting the bed, she tossed the mattress and blankets back onto it. The guy had planned every step of the abduction and in Nick's case even tested his plan on a dog. So while she was frustrated that it had netted better results, she wasn't really surprised. This guy shown he was crazy but not stupid.

Crawling up onto the bed, she curled into a ball, trying to conserve energy and body heat. Her feet and calves were cold from standing in the water that was getting higher every minute. She now had bruises on her hands from tugging on the bed. The strain of being trapped and failing to find a way out were wearing her down. When the tears started streaming down again she didn't bother to wipe them away.

Grissom couldn't turn away, but was glad that the rest of the team was out of the lab and missed Sara's breakdown. The light went off and he counted to 60 before pressing it again. Giving them both a chance to for some privacy to regain their composure in the dark. "Archie can you watch her for me."

The AV Tech looked up from his computer screen and nodded. Grissom thrust his hands in his pockets, heading into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. He noticed Catherine sorting through a pile of papers.

"In the original case everything related to the abductor and his daughter."

"We're on it Grissom. Nick's already looking into the house and setup to see if it shows up in any case files. Greg's looking into where the water might be coming from, Warrick's following up to see if any recent cases match the girl on the tape, and I'm working the package with Brass."

"Thanks Catherine."

She smiled at him, "We're all worried about her. How's she holding up?"

"She's hanging on."

Catherine nodded, "Sara's tough, strong and smart she'll get through this, but Gil how are you?"

He tried to remain calm, hiding behind his professional mask, but when she reached out a hand and squeezed his arm it slipped a little. "It's my fault Catherine it was my decision. I told her she could go in and now she's trapped in there."

"Gil were talking about Sara 'I'd do anything to help' Sidle. You know as well as the rest of us she would've gone in to help regardless of what you said. You can't blame yourself for what this creep is doing to her, to us. It's not helping anyone especially not Sara. She needs you to be strong. We need you too."

He nodded and with a deep breath in, the mask was back in place. "So what do you have on the package?"

Catherine was worried about him. As Nicky's supervisor his confinement had been like a slow death to her soul, each mouse click ripping another piece away. She couldn't imagine what it was like for Grissom, he'd known Sara for such a long time and then there was their 'thing'. She didn't know what to call their relationship or lack of one.

Looking into his blue eyes she realized for the first time how deep his feelings for the younger woman ran. Still waters really do run deep, she thought as she glanced away. The team had to rescue Sara because Catherine wasn't sure Grissom could live with his survivor's guilt if they didn't.

"The package was delivered by motel clerk, his story is that it was left in a room with five hundred dollars cash and a note promising a police reward. The only prints on the package were from the clerk. He has no criminal record so…"

"So no leads there."

"Not yet, but we're all working on it."

Grissom carried his coffee back into the lab and watched Sara lying on the bed. He wasn't sure if the shaking he was seeing was still from her crying or if hypothermia was starting to set in.

"Hang on, Honey. Just hang on." He pleaded to the screen hoping that somehow she'd know they hadn't given up on her and she couldn't give up yet either.

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own CSI in any way shape or form.

AN: First an apology to any non GSR fans. When I started this little adventure I didn't plan on it being GSR exactly, but it seems to be going that way, so sorry I didn't warn you sooner. Secondly this chapter is short, but I just wanted to get it up while I'm working on the next one which should reveal more about who has Sara and why. I'm just not sure how long it's gonna take so wanted to give you something even if its short. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy this.

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Chief Coroner Dr. Al Robbins didn't normally come down to this side of the building. Usually the CSIs came to his domain, but today with one of their own on the line he made the long trek from his office to the AV Lab. He hadn't entered the room yet, he could see enough of the screen through the clear walls that he could watch the water creep up the bed. Sara was sitting up in the corner of the bed with her knees drawn up to chin. She was no longer just shivering now it was more like she was shaking from the cold.

Brass walked up to him, Robbins' noted automatically that the strain was showing on the Detective. The pair nodded to each other as they both looked into the lab where Gil was again keeping vigil.

"How's our girl?" Brass had his own theories about the pair, but he had a strict non-interference policy about them. Watching Gil he was worried about the long term impact this case would have on him. Jim had remained silent about the changes Nick's abduction had made on the whole team. Watching some of them with pleasure like Gil trying to reconnect with his team or Sara seeming to get back to normal. Warrick's sudden marriage and Greg's solemness were a little more disconcerting.

"Do we know how cold that water is?" Al began mentally calculating how long Sara could survive, based on her weight, body to fat ratio and possible temperature.

He remembered doing the autopsy on the girl that had looked like Sara and prayed he'd never see Sara lying on one of his cold metal slabs. Robbins had been a Coroner long enough it wasn't hard for him to imagine what Sara's body would look like from the combination of drowning and hypothermia. The gray cast to her skin, the bluish-purple color her lips, blood shot eyes and water in her lungs.

"No, but from what Gil told me it's gotta be pretty cold. Apparently she made a comment something like she would die from hypothermia before she could drown." Brass studied the Doctor, "The bastard isn't giving us as much time to find her is he Doc?"

Al nodded, "Shivering is the body's first defense against hypothermia so we still have plenty of time. But as her core body temperature drops her extremities will go numb. Followed by muscle stiffness, loss of consciousness, and finally cardiac arrest."

Robbins described it all clinically, ignoring the anger that was welling in him at the idea that someone was doing this to Sara. The beautiful, young CSI who had a smile and way of lighting up the room that warmed even the cold morgue. Al could always tell which cases Sara worked on, by David's reaction.

He understood the attraction and crush his young employee had on her. Didn't they all feel that way to some extent or other about her. The men in the lab he noticed seemed to fall into three distinct categories fathers, brothers and would be lovers. He didn't think the same was true for Catherine because the staff recognized that the former stripper would really only fit into same category that all unattainable beautiful women went into.

Sara wasn't like most women in generally, but especially those you met in Las Vegas. She wasn't a classic beauty, so she didn't value her own physical appeal. Her intelligence, humor and appreciation of science geeks were a heady combination to men who'd been overlooked, teased, ridiculed, and deemed unattractive for those characters. Looking at Brass he wondered which one the Detective viewed Sara as, though he suspected that like himself he saw her as a daughter.

"Jim don't give up on her. She's young, healthy and strong."

"Yeah, she's a fighter."

"There's a saying about immersion hypothermia you don't give up them until they're warm and dead. We can't give up on Sara, because she wouldn't give up on us."

Jim nodded "You going in there?" Robbins nodded. "Good. I need to catch up with Cath and the others."

Walking into the lab, Robbins stood next to Gil. He'd known from the very first autopsy with Sara and Gil that the older man didn't have parental feelings for his employee. Then in the next breath he'd seen she felt the exact same way. Watching Gil, watching Sara on the screen was almost heart breaking. Grissom and Sara were both guarded people, but sitting in the dark watching her being slowly taken from him had put a chink in Gil's defenses. Reaching out he squeezed his friends shoulder. "Hey Brass is catching up with the team. I'll keep an eye on her for you, if you want to catch up with the others."

Gil pulled his eyes away from the screen to look at the Coroner. "Just press the mouse button to keep the lights on. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Robbins nodded and started watching the brunette on the screen trying to estimate her pulse and severity of her shaking, while trying not to calculate how long it would take her to die.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Alas not mine in any way, shape or form.

AN: Thank you all for your R&R. This was a difficult chapter to write, but your support and encouragement kept me going. Additionalthank yous to my wonderful reviewers is located at the end.

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The case file was spread out on the table. Standing at the door Gil Grissom took a minute to observe his crew unnoticed. The strain he felt was mirrored in the familiar faces sitting around the table. Catherine's appearance was the one that surprised him most. Her red hair was pulled back into a pony tail, most of her makeup had worn off and her clothes were rumpled. Over the years he'd used her appearance to gauge how his friend and the rest of the team were handling stress. She hadn't looked this bad even towards the end of Nick's ordeal. It was obvious that the team was worried about their friend and that the case wasn't going well.

Nick was the first to notice Grissom enter the break room. "How is she boss?" The Texan was trying to keep his own anxiety under control, but it was difficult. It seemed like everyone was constantly watching him, asking him how he was holding up. He wondered if they were waiting to see if he'd crack under the pressure of Sara's ordeal thinking that it was bringing back his own. He wanted to scream at them that it wasn't the same.

Watching Sara trapped in the cell was definitely worse, because he kept wishing it was the roles were reversed so that Sara was safe and sound. He remembered her quiet admission one night that she thought he was the strong one, because she couldn't imagine lasting that long. She had an aversion to being trapped that had only gotten worse since her encounter with Adam Trent at the Mental Hospital.

Nick tried not to glance at his watch, but found his eyes locked on the watch face. His brain not really noticing the time because he was occupied with not counting how many hours she'd been gone, or how many she had left. In the coffin the time had seemed endless. One long moment sliding into the next. The only break at first when he was thrust into darkness or light by turns. Now though he was acutely aware of the passage of time.

Like the others Nick chafed under the normal case delays. The finding and processing evidence, waiting for tests to run and following up leads was incredibly frustrating. He'd noticed even David Hodges was oddly silent as he examined and re-examined every piece of evidence looking for even the smallest clue that the first four examinations had missed. During the inevitable wait he tried not to think Sara's time running out, but it was never far from his mind and neither was his silent prayer for her safe return.

"The water's reached the bed." Grissom answered in a quiet voice, that was raspy from emotion. He didn't sit at the table, he wasn't sure how long he would be staying. Just being away this long was started to wear on his nerves, but he wanted to supervise the investigation as well. He needed to be part of the team trying to find her. "So what do we have?"

"The cloth we found at the bottom of the trap did test positive for ether, but other than that we didn't get much usable evidence from either house." Greg was drawn, pale and his hair looked like he'd been running his fingers through it. Grissom thought Sara would be proud of her protégé, the professionalism he was maintaining under the emotional strain. Grissom nodded, he hadn't really expected to get anything, their initial processing had been pretty thorough.

"After talking to the neighbors we discovered that the first house was recently sold. So I ran the title and called up the realtor to see what she could tell us based on the disclosure laws. She said nothing unusual every happened there, but that the other one was the scene of a double murder about twelve years ago." Nick flipped open his notes. "The remains of a woman and her infant son were found sealed behind a false wall in the garage. The husband was convicted, served eight years of a death sentence, but was released when DNA evidence exonerated him."

Catherine tapped her pen against her lips, her face a study in concentration. "I remember that case, it was one of the first we worked on Grissom. Steven Ray said he didn't do it. I think his alibi couldn't be verified and the circumstantial evidence was very convincing. During an appeal they re-tested some of the blood evidence using PCR and matched it to someone else."

"So we have a suspect. Good job Nicky."

"I'll have dispatch run Steven Ray see what we can get on him, like his last address and place of employment." Brass stepped away from the room a little to make his phone call.

"What about the cassette tape?"

"Still working on it, but so far nothing. It sounds clean. I'm also looking at recent homicides for a link to the girl, but nothing yet." Warrick tapped the stack of files sitting in front of him.

"Ecklie offered some of the staff from other shifts, let's get them in here to help with that." Catherine's eyes and nostrils flared in surprise, but she didn't say anything. It was highly uncharacteristic for him to ask or accept Ecklie's help.

Brass walked back in, "Last residence and employment are the same place. The information is about two years old. Apparently he's very familiar with The Black Velvet Motel and room 17."

"Isn't that the same room our package was found in?" Catherine nodded her reply to Gil's question. "So we need to find this guy."

"Since then he seems to have dropped off the face of the earth." Brass snapped his phone closed. "No forwarding address, no known associates and his family is all out of state.

"Cath I want you and Nick to review the original Ray case file. Maybe you'll find a lead about how this guy thinks and any leads where he might go. Greg what do you have on the water?"

"Water company says they don't know where the water's coming from they don't show any usage spikes that you'd expect for filling a room like that. The engineer I talked to say it could be pumped from a well, a pool or a large body of water like Lake Mead."

"So no leads there. Damn." Grissom exited the room unable to face his team and their fear any longer. He walks past the AV Lab and into his silent and dark office. The room brought him no comfort it only heightened his feelings of frustration and anger as memories arose unbidden of Sara leaning against the door jam with a smile or a question.

"Are you contacting her family?" Catherine hadn't leaned in the doorway, but just followed him in.

"I don't think she'd appreciate that when we find her."

"Is that what's best for Sara or best for you?"

"Catherine in all the years we've worked with Sara how much has she shared with you, me or the guys about her past, about her family? In the last ten years she's mentioned her mother, father and brother less than half a dozen times to me. Has she even mentioned them that often to the rest of you?" His back was to her, so he didn't see her shock. She'd known Sara was private, but until that minute hadn't realized exactly how private.

"Did any of us even notice that she doesn't celebrate any holidays? She works all of them, doesn't take vacations and rarely talks about anything other than work." It was only now as he voiced his thoughts out loud that he realized something. Years ago he'd told Warrick that he was a Ghost in high school. That when Grissom left the Crime Lab he'd just be gone, there'd be no goodbye party. Suddenly he realized that Sara was also a ghost, that she'd been slowly dying before his eyes for the last five years and no one had noticed.

Closing his eyes he promised himself, Sara and the God of his childhood that if only she was returned safe, he'd make sure that her life was different. He'd enlist the others to help her find a life outside law enforcement. Making sure the whole team would get to know Sara the person, not just CSI Sidle.

The knock on the door interrupted the conversation. "Uhm hmm." Archie stood in the doorway and cleared his throat. "Dr. Robbins wants you in the AV Lab. He thinks he has a lead."

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AN: Thanks for the encouragement, your kind words keep me smiling and writing even when the story seems to be stalled.

AnMaDeRoNi, anonymous01, bene, Cherrydrops12, GSBS4L, jbr12476, Lanta, mariposa510, stvinny, tefla,

AnMaDeRoNi: I considered your request for NSR, but it just didn't seem to fit this story. I hope you'll keep reading though.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine

AN: Thanks for the encouragement, your kind words keep me writing look how quickly this chapter got up. Special thank you to angstyotaku at the YTDAW.

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Al Robbins was watching the screen then glancing at the picture in his hand, comparing the photo still to the woman on the screen. As a Coroner he'd spent his life looking at details while maintaining an objective distance. Watching Sara on the screen he was finding it hard to remain distant and objective, especially when he caught a detail that might have been missed by the others. He'd compared the two images for several minutes before sending Archie to get Grissom. He was certain now as he looked at the detailed screen shot he'd had Archie print out for him. The picture in front of him had been magnified and now that he'd

Only now as he waited for the CSIs did he see the other details that the photo showed clearly like exactly how much distress Sara was in. The mask of control she wore was slipping. He suspected that she was beginning to feel fear, panic and hopelessness, but at the same time she was keenly aware that others were watching so she was trying to maintain her composure to make the others feel better.

"Archie said you might have a lead?" Grissom radiated intensity, the meeting with his team hadn't gone very well and any lead that got them closer to finding Sara was like manna from heaven.

Robbins nodded, "I don't know if this will help or not, but it might narrow down the water source. I noticed some discoloration on her blouse when she shifted positions." Robbins used a pen to circle the small spots on Sara's blouse in the magnified picture. "I thought it might help."

Grissom adjusted his glasses and looked at the picture the small spots of light on her dark blouse were obvious in the still. "It looks like medium velocity spatter pattern, probably from when she tried to use the bed frame to break the Plexiglas." He'd been so focused on what she was saying that he'd missed it. Now that it had been pointed out to him it was obvious and he was angry with himself for missing it. How much time had that oversight cost them? "The water's been chlorinated. Have Greg figure out the concentration and get together a list of types of possible sites."

"I'm on it. Gil where's Sara vest?"

"In my Tahoe."

"Right. Keys?" He dug them out and handed them over. Catherine took them and headed for the door. Robbins got up and moved allowing Gil to take the seat in front of the monitor again.

"So what's Catherine doing?"

"Checking Sara's vest for trace fibers. If we're lucky we'll find fibers from her blouse. Then after a simple experiment we'll be able to determine what percentage of chlorine to water would be necessary to duplicate the damage. Which would narrow down the sources since public pools use a different concentration than private."

"Al this guy is a real piece of work. He doesn't just want kill CSIs. He wants to torture them physically and emotionally. Nick was in the coffin facing asphyxia, possible suicide and fire ants. Sara's in a cell facing hyperthermia, drowning and the affects of chlorine. Carl Jung said that 'The healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers."

"We've seen humans do lots of terrible things to others for reasons lots of different reasons. Sometimes we never know or understand why."

Grissom nodded watching Sara knowing time was running out and the bastard was winning. He tried to remind himself that letting his anger over power his reason would allow the perp to win. In his mind he could already see the damage from the chlorine, how it would strip the natural oils in her skin and hair until it was dry, irritated and cracked. The water didn't even have to be that cold for her to get hypothermia. They were running out of time. If they were lucky and the water was between 59 and 69 degrees she had less than ten hours to survive.

"Gil if you need anything…" Robbins left the sentence hanging as he wandered out of the lab and headed back to the Morgue. "Please don't let her end up on one of my slabs."

Alone again Grissom stared at the screen marking the slow passage of time by the height of the water. Sara wasn't over talking any more and that concerned him because it was like her inner spark was dimming. It made him angry again, because he'd noticed the same change in Nick when he'd picked up the gun. "Hang on Honey. Just a little longer."

Sara's head popped up almost as if she had heard a sound. Gil watched her lips moving as she formed words, but couldn't see or hear another person.

_"Hello Ms. Sidle. Are you enjoying my hospitality?"_

"Who are you?" Grissom was frustrated at only catching her half of the conversation. He just hoped Sara repeated enough of what her captor said that he could get more of a lead.

_"That really isn't important."_

"It's important to me I want to know who is responsible for doing this."

_"Well that would be Ms. Williows, Captain Brass and of course Dr. Grissom."_

"What do Brass, Cath and Griss have to do with this?"

_"You're here because of what they did to me. I've given you all the information you need, just follow the evidence."_

Sara pondered the puzzle for a minute. "So I'm here because they put you in jail, but why the clear coffin and cell? Why make them watch on video?"

_"It's what they did to me. I was on display for everyone to see. _

"But why are you doing this? You're obviously not in jail if you can do this."

_"I am out of jail, but my prison remains. The bible says an eye for an eye. Do you believe that?"_

"The bible also talks about forgiveness and mercy." She told him, reasonably.

"_There can be no forgiveness or mercy for what the Las Vegas CSI's taken from me?"_ He stepped a little closer allowing Sara to look in his eyes, dark brown eyes like Nick's, but lacking the warmth and humanity she always saw in Nicky's._ "I would like your forgiveness though."_

"I am not forgiving you for what you've done to me."

"_No I apologize for lying to you Ms. Sidle. They can't hear you, never could it was just another aspect of the game."_

"You lied." She said simply repeating what her visitor said. "They can't hear me after all." Sara sat on the bed a little defeated. _Damn. _

Closing her eyes she rested her head against the cement wall. She thought of Grissom, remembering the feel of his hand holding hers giving her comfort. That memory brought up another. Watching Grissom in the AV Lab as he watched Nicky so intently. Whispering soft words of encouragement. With a flash of insight she remembered clearly how Grissom would focus on people's lips, watching their mouths form words.

Gil Grissom could lip read and her captor didn't know that. That knowledge gave her power because it didn't matter if they could hear her or not as long as Griss could see her lips. She kept her expression sad as she looked at her captor, keeping her face turned to face the camera.

"So they have know way of knowing what we talk about." Sara bit her lip as if to keep from crying.

"_Yes. Can you imagine their frustration at watching you talk, maybe giving them the vital clue to rescue you and not being able to get it."_

"They could have brought in a lip reader." She pointed out.

"_There's an old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I know they haven't brought anyone in."_

"You know there's no lip reader, because you're watching the crime lab?" She repeated.

He nodded and held up the recorder. _"Did you want to record your goodbye to your family now?"_

"No I don't plan on saying goodbye."

"_I'm not surprised given your family history._

"Why did you bother asking if you already knew about my family?"

Sitting in the lab, Grissom watched Sara was repeating enough of what the perp said that he could follow the conversation. It seemed she knew he was here watching, reading her lips. Just say the right thing you sonofabitch it was a familiar interrogation mantra, but never had it meant so much. He thought about all the times Sara had sat in on interrogations where he or Brass alternated between speaking and silence to get the desired confession. Come on Honey get him to reveal too much. Get him to give us the clue we need to find you.

"It worked out for the best, better that I'm here. I wouldn't want Lindsey to be an orphan."

Dear God, it could have been Catherine. He thought, not that the idea made him feel any better. He'd lost track of the conversation again. Focusing back on Sara he tuned out the lab, all sounds and all feelings until his whole world was the image on the screen.

"You seem to know a lot about us."

"_Yes. The hunter should know his prey."_

"Is that all we are to you prey?"

"_I had to study you to know how to strike. To know how to deliver my revenge. To find like minded allies."_

"Was Walter Gordan one of your allies? Are you going to blow yourself up like he did with the ransom?"

"_There is no ransom that was his aberration of the plan."_

"So the ransom was an aberration? Why did he change the plan?"

"_He wanted someone to 'pay' for what was done to his daughter."_

"Then what do you want?"

"_You went to Harvard and Berkeley Ms. Sidle so you're a bright girl, what do you think I want?"_

"Money isn't enough for you because you want someone to suffer." He made a motion with his hand urging her to continue. "To suffer like you suffered in a cage, watching helplessly as someone you love died?"

"_Very good Ms. Sidle, incomplete, but very good."_

"Okay, so you weren't in a cage exactly. " She pursed her lips in thought ignoring the cold water rising up her leg. "Then you were in prison." A slow nod. "For a crime you didn't commit." Another nod.

"_For the mistake your colleagues made I lost everything. Years on death row waiting for technology to set me free, but that doesn't matter now because you don't have that long. Are you getting cold Ms. Sidle?"_

"Yes. The water is cold." Her teeth were chattering, but she kept her focus on keeping her speech clear. The water was well over the bed by now.

"_You should take this opportunity to tell Dr. Grissom how you feel about him."_

"I'll tell him when I see him."

"_Do you really want to talk that chance, Sara?"_ He asked in a menacing tone.

"Yes. They'll find me like they found Nick."

"_The closest they came to finding you was just after you disappeared. It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Sidle."_ The voice went away as she was plunged into darkness again.

Sara waited for the light to come back on before repeating his final cryptic comment. "They were closest to finding me just after I disappeared. What the hell does that mean? I hope you can figure it out Gil, because I'm counting on you to get me out of here."

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AN: I hope the Italic side of the conversation between Sara and the Bad Guy made sense. Also any errors you find are my own, I took some liberties with the chlorine on silk, the effect of chlorine and hyperthermia are based on research. So please forgive any errors and omissions. AlsoI had Sara call Grissom by his given name instead of his surname for a reason, likea private message, there may be more on that in the next chapter. Let me know what you think


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Alas not mine in any way, shape or form.

Spoilers: Small spoilers to Season 6 eps that have aired specifically regarding Sofia Curtis.

AN: Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but it took a couple of tries before it was just right. Next one should be up in a couple days.

Sara tried not to think about what was happening, to not remember the cases she'd worked in San Francisco, but couldn't. It was like her brain wasn't listening and so was showing her snapshots from every bridge jumper and drowning victim she'd ever seen.

The water was getting higher. Sara wished she could ignore it, but the cold water was soaking through her jeans making the skin underneath cold and clammy. It was hard not to give into the desperation as the water continued to rise with alarming speed.

"I thought when I left Frisco I was done seeing cold water drowning. We'd have jumpers off the Golden Gate, if the dive didn't kill them, then the water and environmental temp might. I always hated those calls, but at least its clear water, no fishes or bugs."

Sara wondered how much longer she had and how Nick had managed to hang on until the team found him. Given herself a mental shake, Sara tried to get a grip on her emotions knowing that her attitude could be a factor in her survival. 'Think positive Sara. The team is working on getting you home.' She'd seen each of them at their finest and worst, they were her family and she trusted them with her life. Thinking about the team seemed to help, so she imagined what each of them was doing.

She could imagine Catherine bent over evidence determined to find something. Warrick intensely focused as he processed evidence. Nicky and Brass both wearing their determined expressions as they interviewed witnesses. Greg would be back in the DNA lab, because he didn't trust any other tech to run it properly. While Grissom, would be sitting somewhere reviewing what the team had found and trying to piece the puzzle together.

The yellow legal pad was covered with notes Gil Grissom had jotted down as he tried to make sense of the leads and evidence the team had gathered combined with Sara's conversation with her captor. He'd moved from the AV Lab to the break room, waiting for the others to return and report back on the leads they were following. He'd had a couple of large pizzas delivered so they could eat while they talked. He knew from past experience that neglecting the body's needs wouldn't help the case.

Sofia sat down in the chair to his left. "How you holding up?" She hadn't been part of Nick's disappearance so had no way of gauging how he was holding up comparatively, but based on her time on the night shift she knew this case was getting his A game especially since it was a member of his team missing.

"I'll be better when we get her back." Grissom wished Sofia would take the hint and let him focus on Sara's case. The nagging feeling that he'd overlooked some vital clue was gnawing at him. It felt like once he found it everything else would come together so they could find Sara. He just wanted to be left alone so he could review the case again to see if he really was any closer to the answer.

Sofia nodded. "If you need anything let me know, okay?"

"Thanks." His phone rang.

"I need to see if I need to take this." She smiled not surprised that he was screening his calls. She remembered being forced by the Sheriff to deliver a message to him at a crime scene when he was ignoring Conrad's calls. Grissom wasn't any more pleased to be interrupted by his cell phone than he had been by Sofia. He was close, he could feel it. He just needed everyone to leave him alone so it would reveal itself.

Glancing at the caller id he blinked as his brain tried to comprehend what the display was showing him. He was getting a call from Sara's cell phone. Flipping open his phone he answered trying to catch it before it switched over to voice mail. "Sara?" Standing up quickly, he ignored Sofia and the yellow pad falling to the floor as he rushed from the room nearly running as he headed back down the hall to the AV Lab.

Sofia blinked once when she heard Grissom answer his phone, then pulled out her own phone to call Jim as she followed her former supervisor down the hall. "Jim. Grissom just got a call from Sara's phone. Yeah, I'll let you know what he turns up."

The electronic voice on the other end of the phone was laughing in Grissom's ear. "Afraid not Dr. Grissom. Sara's still rather indisposed.'

Grissom stepped into the AV Lab. He didn't notice Sofia had followed him or that she had stopped at the doorway. She stood there allowing herself a moment to get accustomed to the horror of Sara's confinement and re-establish some professional distance. Jim had told her about Sara being trapped in a flooding cell, but seeing it was totally different.

Watching the younger CSI and knowing her co-workers were suffering just as much made the Detective both sad and angry. She knew the team was still reeling from Nick's experience and everything that had happened since. Sofia wasn't close to Sara, mostly because they hadn't had a chance to get to know one another before Sofia left the lab, but she still felt the shared bond of law enforcement personnel. Sara was one of their own and they had to do whatever it took to bring her home safe and sound.

With his hand over the receiver Grissom got Archie's attention. "See if you can get a GPS lock or a trace on Sara's cell." Nodding the young Asian man started keying quickly to access the data requested. Grissom returned his attention to the cell listening carefully. Straining to catch any background noise. Grateful that neither Sofia nor Archie was making any unnecessary noise. His experience had taught him that clues could be picked out if you listened well enough. He debated putting the call on speaker phone, but didn't want to risk not hearing something. "You have Sara's phone."

"Yes. I wanted a chance to check in on you and didn't think you'd take just any call?"

"Well I'm listening and you have my attention."

"Funny that's all Sara ever wanted."

"What do you know about Sara?"

"Quite a bit actually. You see I had to anticipate her reactions in my plans. Her writing was very informative full of interesting insights and tidbits about you, your team and her life. I like her use of color in decorating don't you?" Grissom filed that piece of information away, but didn't respond to the taunts, instead waiting for the voice to continue. Silence was an old interrogation technique, which could be used quite effectively to get the other person to reveal more than they intended. He just hoped that by applying various techniques he could get the criminal to share the information that would save Sara. "When I came across her journals it was like being given a direct link to divine inspiration. She became my muse."

"I can't imagine that."

"No I guess you couldn't, but she was. Her journals were quite helpful and the inspiration for my plans. Reading the descriptions of her nightmares and deepest, darkest fears inspired me to bring them to life. She really is a delightful combination of scientific rationality and womanly sensitivity."

"Sara is special." Grissom agreed, changing tactics again hoping to trip this guy up.

"Do you remember the case where the kidnapped wife was buried in a crate in the desert by her boyfriend?"

"Yes, it was one we got during her first year in Vegas."

"Yes. Then there was the body you processed that was covered with fire ants."

"I remember." He recalled the young man with Downs Syndrome's skeleton acting as a colony for the fire ants.

"It's interesting how the mind works. Did you know Sara's mind combined elements from both cases that gave her nightmares for the longest time?"

Grissom closed his eyes remembering the long ago conversation about Sara's empathy. It hadn't concerned him then, but now looking back on it, he was worried she'd said she heard the victim's screams outside of work and not just when she slept. "I knew she had trouble sleeping, but she hasn't mentioned nightmares in a long time."

"Typical Sara being strong and silent, writing it down instead of sharing with another human being." The line was silent for a moment. "You know it was her moving descriptions of what it would feel like being trapped under ground, unable to escape, being bitten by the fire ants and all the time knowing that her air supply would run out before you could find her that inspired the idea for the coffin at the Nursery."

"I didn't know." Grissom watched as Archie worked his magic and the cell phone was triangulated, Sofia was already contacting dispatch getting a couple of patrol cars headed to the area.

The voice on the other end sighed, "It's too bad he grabbed Mr. Stokes, I was rather looking forward to seeing Sara's reaction to waking up in her own nightmare."

Grissom gripped the counter to keep himself steady. Since that night he'd had nightmares of each of the team, including Sara being trapped instead of Nick. His stomach rolled from nausea at the idea that her captor had been looking forward to her reaction to that situation.

"The web cam was also inspired by her too. You should read her perspective of watching you while Adam Trent held that shive to her throat. Which emotions she thought she saw flickering across your face. I wonder if her memory of it matches your perspective."

Silence again for a couple of heart beats. "Even with that mad man whispering in her ear talking about raping and killing her, her focus was you instead of on what was happening to her. Does it feel the same watching her on the screen as it did watching her through the locked glass room?"

"No it's worse."

"I wish I could stay and hear more. Does Archie have her location yet? I hope so. It would be such a shame if Sara's faith in his skill and yours was unfounded."

The click was loud in his ear and followed by the dial tone. "Archie what you got?"

"Looks like she's about twenty minutes from here." He wrote down the GPS coordinates, then pulled out the map and circled the location on it.

"I'll drive." Sofia offered taking the map and pulling out her keys.

With lights and sirens running, Sofia drove slightly faster than was probably safe trying to make the twenty minute drive as fast as possible. Pulling up as close to the spot Archie had indicated as she could, she turned off the ignition. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way."

Grissom nodded as he got out. Sara's cell phone was here. This Nursery was the last place he'd expected to come back too, but Archie had double checked his results while they waited for Brass to bring the owner. The owner had given his permission for them to search.

While Brass asked him some questions Grissom picked up his case. Walking next to Sofia as both Detective and CSI shined their flashlights looking for any sign of disturbance. Warrick and Greg would be flying over the site in a chopper in a couple of minutes using a scanner to search for thermal activity beneath the surface.

"Grissom look." Sofia's light shone on Sara's cell phone resting on top of the fire ant hill.

"Let's check the perimeter maybe he left us footprints or some other evidence." Sofia nodded slipping easily from Detective mode back into the criminalist mind frame. She was focused on the ground, but could hear the chopper over head.

"Grissom, Curtis can you hear us?" Warrick's voice crackled over the radio.

"Go ahead."

"We've gone over the site three times; we've got a total of eight heat signatures."

Sofia's ponytail bobbed as she nodded. "That accounts for me, Brass, Grissom, the owner and four patrolmen."

"Looks like she's not there."

"Yeah, we found her cell and we're checking for trace now."

"Damn it. This guy's screwing around with us." She'd never seen an angry Grissom and had to admit it wasn't something she'd really expected. In all the cases they'd worked together she had always admired his ability to maintain his detached professionalism. "Guys head back to the lab. I'll collect whatever is here and see you back there."

He didn't need to check his pulse to know it was well over 95 and the thought reminded him of Sara. Her voice had been soft when she asked about the walk around the block. He remembered the soft brush of her hand on his cheek, the loose curls framing her face. This time he took her advice and stepped away from Sofia and the officers.

Walking around, the light from his flashlight skimming the ground in front of him. He stopped walking when the white light focused on the bright russet orange fiber. The fiber was out of place in the landscape of the Nursery. It was close enough to the ant hill that it might have been left at the same time. Dropping the fiber into a bindle he felt renewed as he started sweeping the area again, because sometimes the smallest piece of evidence was the biggest clue.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** Season 6 episodes aired through December 1st.

**AN:** Thanks to everyone who's shared feedback and encouragement. This chapter is a bit of a review but its a necessary evil to the story development.

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Grissom handed Hodges the small envelope with the russet orange fiber he'd collected at the Nursery not far from Sara's cell phone. He only spared just enough time for the tech to maintain the chain of evidence before walking back to the AV Lab. This was one of those times that Dave Hodges was just more than he could bear. Looking from Sara's image to his watch he realized exactly how long he'd been gone and he felt both guilt and anguish at the lost minutes. The Lab was empty so no one saw him touch her face on the screen or heard his voice crack as he whispered what was on his mind. "God Honey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gone so long."

In the ninety minutes he'd been away trying to regain his focus on the case, followed by the wild goose chase following her cell phone the water had risen considerably. Logically he'd known that with the passing of time that there would be more water, he just wasn't prepared for what he saw on the screen because the water was higher than he expected as if it was pouring in much faster now. Sara wasn't talking or moving around as much now that the water was waist deep. She was shivering more violently now and it was obvious her teeth were chattering. The image before him more than anything screamed that Sara's time was running out while the sick bastard who'd set the whole thing in motion was enjoying playing mind games with them.

The fragrance of Blue Hawaiian coffee alerted him to someone approaching the lab. So Greg had broken out the good stuff, Grissom would have to thank his young CSI for that. It would be easier to get through doubles or even triples shifts if you are drinking good coffee.

Archie walked in carrying a cup of coffee. "Hey Grissom. You're back did you find anything?"

"Not much just Sara's cell and a fiber. After they're done fingerprinting the cell, they'll bring it to you and Hodges is working on the fiber I found too."

"Right. I'll see if I can get anything from it."

"So anything I should know about here?"

"No. She hasn't really said or done anything while you've been gone. I didn't have anymore luck following the websites, so I tried narrowing down her location by doing visual enhancements, but didn't find anything useful. I'm sorry."

"You did your best and I appreciate that. I've paged the team to meet me in the evidence room to see what we have so far. You okay with staying here with Sara?"

"Yeah, I'll be here keeping the lights on for you."

"Thanks."

Archie watched as Grissom with a final glance at the screen shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away from the room. He hoped that the team had better news for their supervisor, because at this rate the odds of finding Sara alive looked less and less likely.

Standing in the evidence room waiting for everyone to get together Grissom was haunted by the look he'd seen on Sara's face just moments ago. When she had told him about the night her father died he'd seen both the woman dealing with the tragedy and the heart broken lost little girl she'd been. Since then he'd found the image of a young Sara bravely facing that horror engraved in his brain and sometimes superimposing over Sara so he had this double image of her. It initially haunted him when he assigned cases, but she had proven she was both resilient and professional, so the childhood image faded until it only haunted his nightmares or at odd moments when she looked particularly run down. Seeing that expression again had brought up those feelings again and made him angrier with the man responsible than he'd thought possible.

If her captor had read Sara's journals like he had said then he knew better than most how much Sara had endured and overcome in her lifetime. Breathing deeply Grissom relaxed hands that had balled in anger and tried to relax his mind. He needed to piece together the evidence like puzzle pieces until a like a picture the solution formed. They needed to start coming up with some answers because it was beginning to feel like this guy was leading them about by the nose. He was reminded again of Paul Millander and the very uncomfortable feeling of knowing that this guy might out smart them. The worst part, that twisted like a knife in his gut, was that Sara would be the one to suffer if they didn't figure it out.

"You dropped this when you got that call." Detective Sofia Curtis wandered into the room.

"Thanks." He took the legal pad she was carrying. Sitting down in one of the chairs she watched as he read through the notes he'd written down.

The other members of the night shift entered individually or in pairs. Catherine carried a second mug of coffee that she set down in front of Gil. He smiled a little as a silent thank you while the strawberry blonde just nodded in reply. She was envious of the easy camaraderie between them. During her short time working with this group as a CSI she'd observed how they were more like a family than a bunch of co-workers.

"This guy has had us running around. I'm thinking we need to stop playing his game and process this abduction the way we normally would. So let's start at the beginning and take a fresh look at the crime scenes and the evidence we collected there." Grissom looked at each person standing around the table and meeting each eye. In the eyes of his team, Brass, Sofia and Conrad he saw a determination matching his own. He had no words to express what he felt. He turned to tape the crime scene photos on the board giving him time to slip his professional unemotional mask back on. The mask was a defense mechanism he had used so often that Sara had once accused him of feeling nothing.

Brass started them out, "P.D. got the call about a kidnapped woman and infant trapped in the first house. The first officers on the scene did a walk through and confirmed they could hear the victims, but couldn't reach them because of a cinder block wall. Fire and rescue was delayed at a pile up on I-15 so they didn't arrive for almost thirty minutes. When Gil, Greg and Sara arrived they began to process the scene."

"After we arrived the female voice began indicating that the infant was in distress. When we were unable to expand the opening in the wall. Sara volunteered to slip through and retrieve the baby so the EMTs could begin CPR and other treatment. After removing her vest and weapon, she slipped through."

"So you didn't realize there was a problem until?" Sofia asked quietly. Unlike the others this was the first time she was hearing the details of Sara's abduction and out of habit began treating the update like a witness interview asking questions and prompting for details.

"Until she screamed." Grissom swallowed glancing from the Detective back to the picture of the scene that he'd posted on the white board. "Then a sweep of our flashlights revealed a hole in the floor like from a trap door."

"That's when the female voice on the tape changed from victim to actress and then silence after we heard the recorded gunshot." Brass explained.

"We went through the gunshot cases going back six months and found a day shift case that might fit." Warrick stood and taped up two autopsy photos. "Serina Johnson and her son Jeremy. Day shift crew got the call of a body dump downtown. After the autopsy the Doc figured that it was a single through and through shot from a 9mm killed them both, but the recovered bullet was too damaged for an i.d. With no weapon, no bullet and given the girl's occupation as a hooker combined with a drug habit there weren't any leads on who might have killed her. I re-checked the physical evidence, but didn't find anything new."

Over the years on more cases than he liked Night Shift and Gil Grissom had made him and his team look bad. Conrad sat back a little pleased to have his team vindicated; it was nice to know that his staff had done a good job and not missed anything that could have prevented Sara's disappearance.

"So we know this guy has probably already killed two people." Sofia clarified. Grissom watched as she talked out the problem. He'd found that technique annoying when they worked a crime scene, but maybe it would prove useful this time.

"I think he probably paid the girl to make the tape and was confident that we wouldn't find anything to link to him that crime. So he left the tape at this crime scene to prove he did it." Grissom nodded, he agreed with Warrick's analysis.

"Where did the trapdoor take Sara?" The blonde Detective asked.

"A basement with a tunnel leading to the garage on the property directly behind it." Grissom posted another photo.

"We found a standard 4x4 cotton gauze saturated in ether."

"DNA tests identified Sara's epithelials so we know she was drugged in the basement." Greg didn't add that he'd run the test himself.

Again Brass took up the narrative to give Gil a moment to compose himself. "It took another half hour for Fire and Rescue to open the hole enough we could get through and another say fifteen for us to find the second scene and move through the tunnel to the second house. We figure he got her into a car and was gone at least thirty minutes before we got there."

"Grissom and I finished processing both houses, but neither Sara nor the perp left much else at the scene. So we came back to the lab to work the evidence."

"I arrived at the lab about two hours after Sara went through the wall. When I walk through reception I noticed the Courier with his package. I had Judy call Brass and then after grabbing a pair of gloves carried it to Gil."

"So Brass interrogated the Courier while Grissom opened the package?" She noticed that Brass, Ecklie and Grissom all nodded in agreement, something most of the lab joked was a sign of Armageddon.

"Yeah the Courier was helpful when I explained how he was facing a life sentence as an accomplice. Basically he got a call about a box left in a room, found a note with money and delivered the box because he thought he'd get more money. He doesn't seem to be connected and the call was placed from a cell phone."

"Day shift processed the motel room and traced the call. Neither led anywhere."

Catherine put the evidence bags on the table. "Gil opened the box. Inside was this small generic white box, the necklace Sara was wearing with a broken chain and the USB Jump Drive. I checked the box, wrapping and necklace for fingerprints, DNA and trace. All I found were Sara's prints and DNA on the necklace, but nothing else."

"While in the AV Lab Archie and I turned our attention from the cassette found at the first scene to the USB Jump Drive. Everything about it was identical to Nick's kidnapping except Sara is trapped in a room being flooded with water. From what Sara has said we need to be worried about hypothermia because the water is cold. That gives us between six and twelve hours depending on the actual water and air temperatures."

"Meaning?" Brass asked suddenly alarmed. Dr. Robbins had given him some hope during their earlier conversation. Pointing out that rescuers didn't give up hope on hypothermia victims until all hope was exhausted.

"Depending on how cold the air is she will lose body heat faster or slower."

Brass nodded, but didn't say what he knew they were all now thinking. They might only have another couple hours to find her alive.

Grissom posted up the photos he'd gotten from Dr. Robbins "Sara also tried using the metal frame bed to break the plexiglass wall, but succeeded in ruining her shirt with impact splatter."

"Based on the fibers we collected from Sara's vest the water is chlorinated, the percentage is consistent with residential pool water."

"Do we know anything else about those houses?"

Nick flipped open his file. "After interviewing the neighbors we found out that the first house was recently bought by the owner of the second house one Steven Ray whose wife and child were killed at home. He served eight years on death row for that until he was exonerated by DNA evidence."

"From what he told Sara he holds Brass, Catherine and I responsible."

"Did he say anything else that could be useful?"

Grissom looked down at his notepad. "Let's see he also told Sara that we could hear her and that we were closest to finding her when she first disappeared. When he called me using Sara's cell he implied that he'd read Sara's journals and that her cell would lead to her location. We know he's lied to both her and I at least once. I don't know how much value we can place on anything he tells us."

"So what's the game plan Boss."

"Let's follow the one thing that never lies right?" Catherine asked.

Grissom nodded, "We go back to the evidence, like the fiber Hodges is processing from where I found Sara's cell. Let's take a fresh look at everything. Not just for this case, but also the original case." Catching Catherine's eye he silently asked her to handle this aspect of the case so he could get back to Sara.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Sorry for the delay hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm working on the next chapter so I'm hoping to get it up soon. Please review and let me know what you think.Thanks!

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Catherine understood at least a part of what Grissom was going through. She could still recall horrible hours when she didn't know where Lindsey and Eddie were. Grissom had been her friend and co-worker for a long time. Over the years there had been cases where he'd lashed out in anger and frustration at those around him, grieved at the senseless loss of life or just become an obsessive workaholic. She was worried about him, but now wasn't the time to push so she just nodded in understanding and began passing out assignments while he slipped out of the room. 

Watching him out of the corner of her eye she just wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect on Sara's case. All she knew for certain was that Grissom was like an emotional time bomb waiting to explode. During the Strip Strangler case when Sara had made herself serial killer gait an explosion at Ecklie had resulted in broken coffee pot. All they could do this time was tread softly while watching for the inevitable breaking point. Right now all they could do was work the evidence and hope to find Sara before Gil lost it.

* * *

As the minutes dragged into hours, as the water slowly rose inch by inch, her world slowly shrank until nothing seem to exist outside the glass room and the freezing water. The cold seemed to be soaking into her very bones and muscles, but it hadn't just seeped into her body and mind, but also her soul until she felt numb. It was a different kind of numb than the one she'd gotten used to over the years. She'd used work, Hank and alcohol to numb herself so it seemed like she didn't feel anything. Not feeling seemed to work so well for Grissom, so she'd aimed for that hoping that life would finally get easier. That maybe then she'd have a way to silence her inner demons. Exhaustion hadn't worked she was still haunted by the dead and the loved ones they left behind. Hank hadn't diverted her heart which even now continued to taunt her with dreams of the possibilities and what could have beens with Grissom. In the end drinking had caused more problems than it numbed.

All that seemed like some distant fever induced dream because nothing existed for her now, but water, cold and the sinking realization that the nightshift's luck just might be running out. Grissom had been saved from a serial killer, Greg survived the Lab explosion, and Nick had escaped Walter Gordon. Three times CSIs had survived deadly situations, but she knew that when you gambled long enough eventually the odds would get you. Perhaps this was just her time. Sara was just numb enough to lie back, floating in the cold waterand wait for death because at least then there'd be no more pain and maybe she would find some peace.

* * *

Standing in the Lab Grissom watched as Archie pressed the mouse button again to keep the lights on for Sara. The water was high enough now that she could float while the florescent lights were harsh against her normally pale skin giving her a corpse-like appearance. It was very similar to the one that already haunted his nightmares. Except this time instead of seeing a victim who bore a striking resemblance to Sara, he saw Sara looking like his memory of Debbie Marlin lying on a cold metal slab in the morgue. After putting the case on the fish cork board he'd gone to see the woman Dr. Luhrie had loved and killed. He'd needed to apologize for not being able to bring her killer to justice and to remind himself that the victim hadn't been Sara.

His stomach twisted in knots as he remembered the young pretty brunette lying on the steel morgue slab covered only by a plain white sheet like Snow White just resting while she waited for her Prince Charming to kiss her awake. His mind was able to easily replace Debbie's face with Sara's again. The thought of standing in the morgue and making the same kind of apology to Sara was unbearable. He noticed the tightness behind his eyes and his racing pulse. Suddenly the AV Lab was the last place he wanted to be, so he walked past, into his office and sat behind his desk. He found his keys where Catherine had left them and stuffed them into his pocket.

Grissom wanted to lash out, to scream until he couldn't make another sound, to sweep the other case files off his desk, but he knew that would accomplish nothing except waste more of Sara's precious time. He wanted to pace, but that would only bring exhaustion and he didn't have time to rest. Sara's voice whispered to him, closing his eyes the memory swept over him her hand soft and warm against his cheek. The intimate gesture had been a surprised, but the memory of that touch and what she said would float back to him during particularly rough cases. Standing in his office years later he could almost hear her voice quiet and concerned. "You're too hard on yourself….You want to take a walk around the block? Get some air?... Clear your head ..."

He'd teased her once when he'd asked if she memorized everything he said, but just then he admitted that he had something similar. Each memory of being together was engraved on his heart, body, and soul. So he could retrieve and remember them with clarity. Sara had been right at that scene, so he trusted her to be right this time. He wouldn't leave, but he'd change his focus for a couple minutes. Absently he picked up the mail he'd only glanced at when shift started and began sifting through this evening's mail. Most of it was mundane, but the letter on the bottom caught his attention.

Looking at the plain white business envelope he tried to figure out why this letter had caught his attention. He examined it carefully and then re-read the return address. The address sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure why. He set the letter down and tried to remember. Then in a flash it came to him. He remembered Sara's face when she'd opened the door to her apartment after her suspension. It was familiar because it was the street address for her apartment complex. Pulling on a pair of gloves he used a letter opener to slice the top of the envelope. Pulling out the folded sheet of plain white copy paper, he was careful to handle it gently, his gut told him that it was related to the case.

Pulling the bottom third down and the top third up, Gil straightened the paper. In a quick cursory lookhe noticed writing and taped in the center were two gold keys each with a three digit number written below them. At the bottom of the page was a series of numbers that looked like dates. After staring at the letter for a couple minutes he flipped open his phone. "Cath. I need you and Brass to come with me. He's left us another bread crumb." Closing the phone he stared at the page some more. He didn't want to leap ahead of the evidence, but instinct told him that one key would open Sara's apartment and while he wasn't sure what the other would open he prayed he'd find something to lead to Sara because too late was approaching far too fast.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

Grissom's SUV parked in the visitors spot next to Brass' sedan. Catherine got out and grabbed her kit from the back. Without really thinking he climbed out of the driver's seat and walked to the back to grab his kit, only his wasn't there. Looking at Sara's kit sitting where his should have been, he remembered that his kit was still in his office where he'd left it, because he needed to restock it. Slipping on a new pair of sterile gloves he touched the case. This case was so much a part of his memories of her. He opened it and looked at its contents, the neatly packed powders and equipment. The roll of duct tape she used to keep it together and the small package of beef jerky for his bugs.

Images of Sara at crime scenes flashed quickly through his head. That first day when Sara was all smiles joking about 'Norman Fell.' Her grin when she found that necessary piece of evidence or the way her hair fell when she was bent to process evidence. A white envelope tucked in one end with his name caught his attention. He picked it up, examined it and noticed his name was written across the front in Sara's familiar handwriting. Opening it up he noticed stationary similar to the letter with the keys, except this time he recognized the writing as Sara's.

_"Grissom,_

_If you are reading this letter than something has happened to me. Please know that whatever it is I don't blame you or anyone else. Don't let anyone remember me with guilt. I believe that when it's your time it's just your time to go. Remember that college student killed by the dumpster when she was retrieving her trash can. _

_If I'm dead please make sure they cremate and scatter my ashes in the Pacific. There are more instructions and goodbyes in my will which my attorney will handle. If I'm in a vegetative state please talk to Dr. Robbins. He knows my wishes and has copies of the necessary paperwork. Either way it has been my honor and pleasure to work with you and the team. _

_Life and death happen. Sometimes there's no predicting it, explaining it or preventing it. Someone said, "You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget. Those are your 'friends." You've been my family, friends and co-workers and I love you all more than I can express._

_Sara."_

Catherine and Brass had walked around the vehicle to see what was keeping him. "What's that?" She asked because unlike Jim she couldn't read any of the letter over Gil's shoulder. He handed it to Catherine unable to speak around the lump in his throat. Dropping his hands, one fell to his side, while the other rested on the open forensics kit.

"We've got time, we'll find her."

Gil nodded as he gently closed the case. With a final caress he clicked the locks close. Whispering quietly to his memory of Sara past and present

"I have so many unanswered questions." Pushing Sara's case back into the car he felt more resolved than ever to follow the bread crumb trail the kidnapper had left for them. Closing the car door, he headed up to her apartment his course of action decided. Leaving Brass and Catherine to follow him.

Comparing the number on the door to the number below the key, he pulled it off and stuck it in the lock. It turned easily confirming his suspicion that it was a copy of Sara's key.

Brass pulled out his weapon entering Sara's apartment before the two CSI's. Moving through the rooms in an automatic way he treated the apartment like any other crime scene because that was easier than thinking about this being Sara's home or how she was slowing drowning. "Gil. Cath the place is clear. I'm gonna go talk to the apartment manager and see what I can find out."

The CSI's nodded as they crossed the threshold, their flashlights sweeping the living room and kitchen. It was exactly as Gil remembered it. Sara's apartment was so different from his townhouse with its vibrant wall color and eclectic knick knacks that gave the space a homey feel. "It's not quite what I expected." Catherine noted absently as she surveyed the room.

"Really? Why not?"

"I guess I thought it would be more clinical looking like your place."

Grissom just sort of brushed the comment aside as he headed for the bedroom. He hadn't seen her bedroom on previous visits, but told himself he was only headed there now because logically it seemed the most likely place to find breadcrumb clues. He hated that this perp was leading them around by the nose, but until he had enough clues to solve the puzzle or anticipate the next move he had no other choice.

He moved around her room in the dark there was something here he felt it in his gut. Opening the closet doors he noticed a bit of light in the ceiling. Suddenly he flashed back to the case with Nicky's stalker. "Cath check the ceilings and the phones this guy may have been using CCTV or some other type of surveillance."

"What makes you think that?" He flinched when her voice was suddenly right there at his shoulder.

"Look in there." Pointing towards the inside of the closet. Stepping away from her he walked towards the bed. The light beam skidding over a series of bound dated journals. One of which was opened. Looking at the date May 25, 2005 he read the entry.

_"I had the nightmare again. Every night since we saved Nicky I've had this dream. I'm beginning to hate trying to go to sleep, so I've been picking up extra shifts when possible. How long can I go without real sleep? I'm tempted to call Grissom, but I'm afraid we aren't quite back to the friendship we had before Vegas. God I miss him. I miss being able to call and talk to him about anything. _

_While I told him about my parents and he knows about my nightmares from the Kay Shelton case, I wonder if I have the guts to finally tell him the rest. That every time I close my eyes I see him trapped in the plastic coffin with fire ants slowly eating him alive. That one is as bad as the one where he's been kidnapped, bound and gagged in something from Lady Heather's Dominion and I can't save him. The worst is dreaming of his marrying another woman like Sofia, Terri or even Lady Heather. This losing him night after night in my dreams is slowly killing me. _

_I've made an appointment with the Counselor hoping maybe she'll have a better suggestion than drinking myself into oblivion because Brass was right. He warned me that I'd only find problems not solutions at the bottom of a bottle. Maybe I'll take Jim up on his offer."_

Grissom closed the book, by reading the entry he'd invaded Sara's privacy, but the insights he'd gained were bittersweet. Pulling out the letter he looked at the dates and noticed that 05/25/05 was one of the ones listed. Looking at the diaries he wondered if these weren't a red herrings designed to side track them and keep them from finding Sara.

Brass walked into the room, noticing Gil and Catherine standing side by side over Sara's bed. "Hey guys I just got done talking with the apartment manager. I showed her a picture of our suspect, turns out he's been living and working here as the maintenance man for about 4 months under the name Carl Devry. He's been in Sara's apartment a couple of times doing work on it and can you guess what his apartment number is?"

Catherine turned to face him. "The same as the second key?"

"Yup I already got Vartan working on a warrant for his place. You find anything?"

"Looks like he's had Sara under surveillance and been going through her things." Gil shared quietly. "Hey Cath maybe we should call some of the day shift guys in to process the other apartment." The strawberry blonde nodded and moved out of the apartment before calling the lab. "Why didn't you warn me about Sara's drinking?"

"Could you have handled it without making it worse?"

"Probably not." He admitted. "This guy read Sara's diaries. He even sent me a list of entries so we'll have to make her private life part of the case. I hate that he's making us violate her privacy."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

Spoilers: It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

Author's Note: It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

Gil Grissom looked at the letter and selected another date in thatjournal, it was from a few weeks earlier. Turning the pages in the journal until he reached the one he sought. He hated invading Sara's privacy, but decided that it was better if he read them than someone else. Her kidnapper had made them evidence and some one would need to determine what clues could be gleaned from them. He didn't want her thoughts and feelings becoming food for the gossips, so he began to read again.

"_I dreamt of home again last night, of the last time I went back just after Grissom offered me the job. I carried that old plaid wool blanket Michael sent me from Scotland and since I was re-reading it the copy of Pride and Prejudice thathe got at the Jane Austen museum Icarried that along too. So there I was wrapped in the blanket leaning back against the stone cliffs when I finished the book. _

_As I sat there starring out on the Bay my thoughts as they have before turned to the story. It's always been easy to see the similarities between myself and Elizabeth Bennett, but it was only during the dream that I fully realized some truths about my connection to the story and wondered if my Darcy will ever appear. Will I ever have the affection of a man who is my equal in heart, mind and soul? _

_Those first couple of years here I had hope. Grissom would say things and there was this connection between us, but now I wonder. He turned down my dinner invitation so quickly I can only assume he's not interested. Which only kind of relates to my actual recognition that like Lizzy and my mother I was dazzled by my very own Mr. Wickham. The only difference is that unlike my mother I didn't marry Hank or any of the other lying, cheating bastards I've dated. Am I doomed by nature and nurture to only date Wickhams? __Hell, I didn't even love the guy. In reality he was just the diversion everyone has been telling me to find. Hank never knew me, all he saw was this character I portrayed and that made it easy to keep him at a distance. I hate to admit it, but Hank's right if I'd gotten the page in Pahrump earlier I would've chosen work (Grissom) over fun (Hank) every time. _

_I'm still mortified after that 'Baby' incident at the crime scene, but it was a wake up call. I remember all the times 'Baby' was used by one of my parents. "Baby she means nothing." Dad would say when he was caught flirting. "Baby get me another cold one." So many times I watched her bring him a beer as the cycle repeated itself. "Baby I'm sorry I'll never hurt you." Would follow the fights and trips to the hospital and everything would be forgiven with Mom's simple "Baby I love you." Grissom called me Honey and Brass calls me Cookie. I don't ever want to be some man's Baby again._

_Even if I'd been interested that moment showed me it could never be serious with Hank. He was too much like Dad, but I didn't want to admit that he was just the diversion Grissom and everyone else hounded me to find. I felt bad at the time that it was unfair to Hank to waste his time on a relationship that was going no where, but that concern was swept away by the discovery of Elaine the primary girlfriend. __That was when I knew without a doubt that I never loved him because I wasn't jealous and it was easy for me to walk away. _

_Something I'm still not able to do with Grissom. I tried to walk away, but he sent me the plant, so here I am still. A few years ago Warrick saw how hurt I was when Grissom was dating someone else,Dr. Jane Gilbert, but I've never lost control to the green eyed monster. Even after I learned he asked Sofia out on a date. I've managed to work with them both since, but I'm terrified that its there waiting for me and it will shatter my life again. Especially every time I see them flirting and talking the way we used to. I wish it were me, but so far the jealousy hasn't over whelmed me._

_I know first hand just how dangerous the jealousy gene is. It drove Mom to take a butcher knife to Dad when he wanted to leave her for his young girlfriend, April. Anger and jealousy at being abandoned for awoman not much older than her pre-teen daughter had her stabbing, slashing and slicing them until her rage was satisfied. The coroner counted more than a hundred separate wounds between the pair. Everyone always said I was very much my mother's daughter, does that mean like Dr. Luhrie and Mom I will sink into a murderous rage when Grissom finally settles on someone younger than me like Sofia or older like Catherine or Lady Heather? _

_Maybe I should just ask him out again. Or maybe Grissom isn't my Darcy andI should just try letting go again and walking away, maybe this time I'll succeed._

Grissom looked down at the page stunned. He'd never once considered that Sara would worry that he'd trade her in for a newer model. Fear was what was keeping them apart, but could fear of an uncertain future really be worse than missing out on it? Looking at the words she'd written he re-thought their relationship, now he just needed to find her and see if together they couldn't work everything out.

"I don't think we'll learn much more here." Catherine admitted after she closed her kit. "Let's go check out this other apartment."

Once again Brass was the first one in the door as he made sure that their suspect wasn't home. "It's all clear." He called out noticing the way Grissom and Catherine began scanning the room. Even the most methodical criminal left something behind. Jim had spent enough time around criminalists and law enforcement to see Locard's principle applied time and time again. He just hoped this time they'd be as lucky as when they were looking for Nick.

"Gil look at this." Catherine pointed her flashlight at a wall containing hundreds of photos of their team along with a rough draft of the original crime scene. Catherine pulled off a photo of her standing with Sara looking over a scene. A post it note was attached to the side covering up Nicky. "Both could fit in hole smaller than 28 inches. Looks like he watched us almost from the day he was released from prison."

Grissom nodded looking at the photos he saw photos showing the different ways their appearances had changed over time. "But I don't see anything that would give us rust fibers or any clue about where Sara is. Damnit this guy is screwing with us. I'm going back to the lab." Walking out of the apartment he didn't need to check his pulse to know it was well over seventy. This guy had them running around wasting time, time they needed to spend looking for Sara. When he reached the SUV he closed his eyes as he rested his head against the cool glass. _God please let me find her. I need Sara. I love her andI don't think I could live with out her._ Unlocking the door, he slid into the driver's seat and with a final glance at her building backed his vehicle out. Leaving Brass and Catherine to follow him with the evidence.

* * *

It was getting harder and harder to have faith in Grissom and the team now that the water was high enough that drowning was seeming more a reality then a possibility. Yetshe founditsurprisingly calming to float on her back with her eyes closed. As long as she didn't think how eventually she would be found floating face down. Instead she thought about Tomales Bay and the cold bay waters where she'd grown up. By forcing her mind away from the present and possible future Sara kept the panic at bay.

Slipping into a familiar fantasy Sara imagined the sheltered cove not too far from her childhood home. The spot where she would go for refuge, carrying her blanket and either the current book she was reading or a treasured volume of poetry. The small figure huddled under the plaid wool blanket never attracted much attention as she read or thought for hours. Usually her thoughts were more fantasy, but that wasn't surprising since her reality was so dark that she needed something to hold onto even if it was just wisps of smoke, mirrors and dreams.

This was the one place she wanted to take Gil where she could create new memories. Allowing herself to relax a little more she imagined how it would feel to sit together. He would be wrapped up in the blanket leaning against the cliff, while she would sit between his thighs, her back resting against his chest as his arms encircled herso she surrounded both by him and the blanket. They'd stay that way watching the sun sink into the horizon until it finally set in a blaze of firery reds and oranges to be slowly replaced by indigos and purples as night fell. His breath warm on her ear and neck as he recited Shakespeare, Browning and Frost. Maybe he would even whisper something daring like 'Let's go back to my room'or romantic like 'I love you Sara.'

Then as stronger winds blew in the cold Pacific breezes, he'd help her up, taking her hand in his and never letting go as they walked down the beach, back to the car. The metal would be cold against her back as he pressed her into the car before leaning in to kiss her. The kiss would start off sweet, gentle until he deepened it opening his lips to run his tongue over hers as he sought admission. She'd comply running her hands up his forearms, over his shoulders until at least one threaded through his hair. Gil's hands would also be moving, sliding under clothing to skate along her skin or tangled in her own hair.

Popping her eyes open, Sara stopped floating and began tredding water. She'd waited six years for Grissom to come around during which she'd been ignored, blown up, and attacked. If the on again off again thing with a certain entomologist hadn't broken her, andif Nick could survive in that coffin with fire ants, then there was no way Sara Sidle was going to let this guy win without putting up more of a fight.

* * *

One of the worst aspects of this case was going through the original case file and second guessing the work of colleagues. It was even harder when the CSIs were your supervisors. Nick and Greg were sitting in the AV Lab going over the case notes and reports. They had started out in the break room, but soon found themselves drawn closer to Sara. It was clear that she wasn't doing well. The water kept creeping up a not so subtle reminder that time was running out quick. Grissom was out of the office, so the pair felt the unspoken need for someone to be there as close to her as possible to support their friend.

Nick was reading through the notes of the interview of the original owner of house number two. "I wonder if her daughter ever got into the Olympics."

"Huh?" Greg asked looking back at the tall Texan.

"The original owners of the second house had twin daughters who were training for the Olympics as synchronized swimmers and Mr. Ray oversaw the building of the pool and observation room."

"Nick I did the perimeter there was no pool at that house."

Looking up Nick caught Greg's eye "I think we need to call Grissom."

"No need I'm here." Grissom announced from the doorway dragging his gaze from the computer screen to two of his guys.

"Hey Boss does that look like pool materials to you?" Nick asked, before explaining the information he and Greg had uncovered. For the first time since Sara had disappeared down that hole Gil felt hope. The water was too high for Sara to stand she had to float or tread water, but at least this was a lead not a bread crumb left by the kidnapper.

"Nick grab the equipment and everyone you can. We're going back to that house. If Sara's there we'll find her." He was dimly aware of Greg and Nick leaving him alone in the lab. Touching the screen he whispered to Sara's image that was now treading water. "Hang on sweetheart I'm coming it's not too late." Its not too late for any of it he told himself before following his team out of the lab. Before starting the car he looked up, casting a final plea to the heavens. _Dear God please don't let me be too late. _

_TBC_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

Greg followed Nick out of the AV Lab watching as the Texan began mentally compiling a list of the equipment in the crime lab that could help them find Sara if this lead panned out. They would need things to determine where the pool was or had been, shovels to dig her out and hot coffee to thaw out her insides. Nick was so absorbed in his task that he didn't notice when David Hodges stepped out of the Trace lab and waved the pair over. Greg noticed that Hodges looked as tired as the rest of them with dark circles under his eyes.

"Hodges?"

"Greg. How is she?"

"Hanging in there. Was that all?"

"No I was processing that reddish-orange fiber that Grissom found..." Unwilling to miss another lead Greg followed the lab tech leaving Nick to complete the other task. Perching on a stool in the lab Greg listened as Hodges explained what he knew about the reddish-orange fiber Grissom had found. It was a carpet fiber. Since first seeing the fiber Greg had been struck by the feeling that he was missing something. They were overlooking something important. The Trace Analyst kept talking about the carpet fiber's grass stain, but Greg found himself zoning out until it felt like he was looking at the evidence from across the room. It was from this perspective that he finally knew where he'd seen those fibers before. Opening his cell, he called Grissom.

"Grissom."

"It's Greg. I know where that carpet fiber came from now that Hodges discovered grass stains on it. When I was doing the perimeter on the second house I noticed there was this ugly rug outside the door to the patio. It was covered in these hideous rusty and maize poppies."

"Good job and thanks Greg." Grissom cleared his throat at the surge of pride in his youngest CSI. Sara had spent the most time training him and she would be so proud of Greg. "I'm gonna head over there now. You guys follow as soon as you can." Having a second piece of evidence leading him back to the second house made him feel better about his decision. Locard's Exchange Principal was good science explaining how a perpetrator leaves evidence of his presence at the scene while taking some of the scene away with him. In his gut he knew that the carpet fiber hadn't been planted, it was transferred unwittingly. He was relieved to finally have solid evidence to follow. He'd had enough of wild goose chases that delayed and confused the issue. Sara needed to be found now, enough time had been wasted. Stopping in his office he grabbed his kit and the blanket he kept for sleeping in the breakroom. Already thinking ahead to what she'd need as soon as she was out of the water.

Opening up the vehicle's door he set his case in next to Sara's and then took time to make sure there were towels, blankets and spare overalls in the back of the SUV. Once he found her she'd need to get out of her cold wet clothes as soon as possible so she could start helping her body temperature raise. For just a moment he indulged in the fantasy of drying her hair and skin, but mostly holding her close so that her warm breath on his skin would remind him she was safe and alive. He needed to know that she was alive and that it wasn't too late.

Reaching the scene he walked around the perimeter again looking for clues that would pinpoint the location of Sara's watery prison. The backyard was very plain divided between a large rectangle of grass and a slightly smaller concrete side formed around the large brick built in bar-be-que. He was hoping that by observing the scene alone in solitude he could put the pieces together and solve the puzzle faster by himself than waiting for the others to arrive and begin the grid search pattern. Grissom didn't want to the the hero of the story because he felt no need to be a hero. What he needed was to find Sara as soon as possible, because he desperately needed to touch her skin and feel it grow warmer, to see her smile and gaze into her eyes while pushing her wet hair off her face before he lost it.

Standing next to the patio rug that was every bit as ugly as Greg had described he noticed the odd layout to the back yard observed that there was no sign of disturbed grass on the lawn side, except for the area around the back side of the bar-be-que. Walking over to the brick work station he saw that wooden door that opened on the front side. Opening the door he noticed how shallow the cupboard was. Playing a hunch Gil walked around to the backside of the bar-be-que using his gloved fingers to lightly brush over the brick. Until he found what he was looking for a small camoflogued latch. Pulling on it he revealed another wooden door.

Grissom admitted he was impressed by the clever ploy of painting the door to match the bar-be-que. Shining his flashlight inside the opening he was pleased to discover a space just large enough for a hunched over person to get into. Opening his phone he called Catherine to explain, because someone needed to know that he was going into a dark unknown space alone. "Gil this is a bad idea we're only ten minutes away wait for us."

"I can't Cath I nearly waited too long to get my head out of the microscope. It's about time I did something."

"Gil..." She pleaded as he closed the phone, turning off the ringer just in case she called back. Determined he moved into the space to discover in the darkness ladder like rungs with rope railings leading down. Moving quietly and cautiously down he counted the rungs as he decended to the hidden room underground. The arching flashlight revealed another door, opening it he noticed the light coming from a short ways off.

Stopping just outside the ring of light he surveyed the room, but didn't see any shadows or movements so he stepped closer. The one side of the room contains a computer, video camera and office equipment. There will be time to process it for evidence after Sara's safe, he promised himself. Time enough to get a solid case against this guy. Slowly he turned his attention to the other part of the room. Dreading it, yet needing to see what was there. Just as she had been on the computer screen earlier Sara was floating in the water. It was the differences that had his heart lurching, her lips and skin were bluer then the last time he'd seen her. Sara was suffering from hypothermia and needed out of her cage before her survival became a deadly race against time.

He's standing in front of her, with his hand on the glass before he even considered moving. Knocking on the glass he gets Sara's attention and is painfully reminded of her attack at the State Hospital. "Sara. Honey." His words pull Sara back to reality, so she stops floating and starts treading water.

"Gri-is-is-somm." She uttered around the shivers that were racking her body.

"I'm here sweetheart." She nodded and moved closer to the plexiglass, opening her hand she pressed it against the clear divider where his hand was. If not for the cold plastic they would have been touching. "and we're going to get you out of there as quick as we can." Opening his phone again he calls Brass to let his friend know Sara had been found, but they would need the bomb squad sent out to check the place out.

"Sara. Honey I need you to talk to me. We have to wait for the all clear from the bomb squad and then we're going to get you out of there and warm you up. Also I was thinking when this is all over you might like to go out to dinner." He wasn't sure, but he suspected the wet drop rolling down her check was a tear and he had to bite his lip to keep his own from falling. He was with Sara, but now his mind raced back to their perp and the questions that haunted him as he starred into her dark eyes. He'd found Sara and was grateful, but wonder if he would still loose her. Was her watery 'tomb' booby trapped like Nick's grave had been and if so how did they rescue her without blowing her up because the bull dozer trick wouldn't work a second time.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

Spoilers: It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

Author's Note: It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think. We're almost to the end thanks for joining me on this journey.

* * *

"Sara. Honey I need you to talk to me. We have to wait for the all clear from the bomb squad and then we're going to get you out of there and warm you up. Also I was thinking when this is all over you might like to go out to dinner?"

Sara's mind was fuzzy, tired and unable to decide if the she was really seeing Grissom and really heard him say that or if she was hallucinating. 'This can't be real I must be hallucinating,' she told herself 'because I think he just asked me out.' It seemed so out of character for the reclusive entomologist. That it had to be something her brain created from fantasy.

For years she'd wanted Grissom to invite her out to dinner. After two years at the lab she'd taken the initiative, asked him and was rejected. Now her final minutes would be hallucinating that a glass wall separated them and he finally was taking a step forward. It wasn't fair. If her brain was going to indulge in fantasy why not a better one like him kissing her or making love to him. She didn't bother wiping away the tear rolling down her cheek to join the water that continued to pour into the cell.

"Sweetie I need to know if you can hear me. Sara nod your head if you can hear me."

"Noott reeall halllucccinattion." Hypothermia was making her stutter because it was hard to talk with the violent teeth chattering she was experiencing from the cold without risking biting her tongue. The ironies of her situation weren't lost on Sara. Any attempt at over talking would be physical painful. While she'd grown up near the ocean, she'd drown in the desert. Years of trying to get Grissom to talk to her and now it would be too late to act on it. More tears followed the path the last one had taken. She was cold, tired and sad.

"Sara I'm not a figment of your imagination. We can sort all that out after the bomb squad gets you out."

"Doo yooou rea-lly thiiink heee leffft a bommmmb?" Sara asked.

Grissom had thought knowing where Sara was would eliminate some of the tension, but in reality it had only gotten worse. His head pounded and stomach still churned even though he knew where she was. His heart ached because she still wasn't safe and it was harder seeing her through the plexiglass than it had been on the computer screen. Except now he could see the chattering of teeth, her violent shaking and the blue tint to her skin. He was so close, but still too far away. It frustrated him that he couldn't wrap his arms around her and carry her away from this nightmare to some place safe and warm.

"I really don't know. I mean he said Gordon deviated from the plan, but we don't know if the plan originally included a pressure release bomb."

Sara nodded and closed her eyes. "This is our third explosion." Neither had been seriously injured in their previous encounters with explosives. They had each only gotten small cuts when they were near the bombing epicenter; hers from the lab explosion, while his were from when Walter Gordon blew himself up. They had both tried to process evidence too close to bombs in the Durbin case, but were lucky. This would be their third explosion at a crime scene and she wondered if their luck would hold.

Turning his cell back on he called Brass. "Jim what's the eta on the bomb squad and ambulance?" He noticed that she wasn't shaking and chattering as much which was a bad sign. Sara needed to get to Desert Palms as quickly as possible. Hanging up the phone he started re-examining her cell looking for anything that might indicate if there was a bomb and where it would be.

"You need to go." She pleaded with him. He shook his head firmly he wasn't going anywhere without her. "What if there really is a bomb?"

"Then we'll face it together."

"No I don't want you to die." She hated the wheedling tone in her voice, but the idea of something happening to him broke her heart. Looking into her eyes he saw her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Please Gil just go."

"We need to find a way to get you out of there. There will be an ambulance parked just a few feet away prepared to whisk you off to the hospital for treatment once we get you free."

"Gil." He watched as her tears began again. "Why won't you go and save yourself? If I wasn't worth risking your career, then why should I be worth risking your life?" This time the tears fell, streaking down her face.

"Have you ever watched Stargate SG-1?" Sara shook her head as she continued to tread water. He was surprised to find she didn't watch the science fiction show about exploring the universe through worm holes, but then she'd probably find physics and scientific errors unbearably annoying. "They had a similar situation were General O'Neill wouldn't leave his subordinate the beautiful astrophysist Sam even though it meant both their deaths. When questioned by an advanced alien lie detector he admitted he couldn't leave her because he cared about her a lot more than he was supposed too." She waited for him to continue. "I'm not leaving because like O'Neill I'd rather die myself than lose you."

"I'd feel the same way."

Neither knew what to say as they waited for the bomb squad, but the silence wasn't entirely uncomfortable as they both accepted and became more comfortable with their admissions. Going around to the backside of the desk he noticed that the computer screens offered the option of draining the tank and raising the plexiglass. So now that he had a way to get her out of the tank he continued walking around the room he searched for a trigger or detonator. When his phone rang he answered it.

"Grissom. You read the other case file and seen the video? Then you know he used pressure switches as a booby trap. Yes I agree it was a trap designed to take out as many cops and CSIs as possible. The room's pretty empty a desk, computer, and camera. You come down some steps. I agree. Okay. Put Brass back on the phone. Jim we don't have time to be cautious. Sara's not shivering anymore so her condition is getting risky. We need to find a way to get her out and up the stairs asap. Yeah that might work. Okay."

Sara listened to his side of the conversation. She felt odd almost like she was drunk and confused. He hung up the phone and faced her again. "Sara I'm going to use the computer program to drain the water and get you out of here. Okay?"

"What about the bomb?"

"Brass is clearing the area and we'll just have to wait and see."

Pressing the keys he waited for the explosion that never came. For long minutes he stared at the tank waiting for some sign that the water was stopping and start draining. Finally with a small gurgle the water began to seep away. Like a tub slowly draining the water began to recede. Pulling out his phone he called Brass back. "Jim the water's draining so its time to work on securing the line."

Stepping over to the tank he smiled at Sara who was smiling as the water got lower and lower. Pushing her wet hair back from her temples Grissom was sure he'd never seen anything so beautiful. The door above the stairs opened. "Gil?"

Leaving her he headed over to where Jim was leaning in through the doorway. "Hey Jim."

"How are you guys doing?"

"Better."

"Good. Here's the repelling line and harness. Once you secure it down there we'll haul Sara up and then you." Grissom nodded as he caught the equipment Jim tossed down.

"Make sure that ambulance is ready Jim."

"I will."

By the time the line was secured, the water had completely drained. Turning back to the tank he found Sara collasped in a small puddle. She was shivering again. Taking off his coat he wrapped her in it, knowing it wasn't enough, but at least it was a start. "Sara." He whispered as he pulled her into his arms. "We're going to get you out of here."

As he scooped her up, Sara stretched an arm up to wrap around his neck, pressing her face against his neck. Feeling the warmth of his body around hers and smelling his familiar scent helped Sara believe this wasn't a dream. The tears started as she realized how close she'd come to dying.

"Shh. It's okay you're safe now. Let's get you out of here."

"Griss."

"I'll be right behind you I promise. After the hospital we'll get that hot meal I promised."

"Kay. I'd like that."

Setting her down he pulled the harness up around her waist and buckled her in. "Jim pull her up now." He yelled up the stairs. then softer to Sara "I'll see you soon." Before kissing her on the forehead.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

As soon as he released her, Sara immediately missed Grissom's warmth. He yelled something up the stairs to the team, but the fatigue and cold had numbed her brain leaving her confused and disoriented. It was almost like being drunk as her focus wandered and made it hard for her to pay attention. Then with a tug and a jerk on the harness they began towing her out of this underground tomb. As she reached the surface she spotted Warrick, Nick and Greg pulling on something. It was then that the scientific part of her mind noted absently that they must have rigged the repelling line to a simple pulley that allowed them to easily pull her up without her doing anything.

That thought slipped away to be replaced by others each one fluttering in and flying away on gossamer wings before she could grasp it for more than a breath. She felt disconnected from her surroundings and her own body. Blinking furiously as she was brought out from the artificial light into the sunlight of a dawning day. It was almost like being reborn she thought before warm hands on her face brought her back to the moment.

She blinked a couple times as she focused on Jim Brass. "You're okay Cookie. We got you and you're safe." She was a little surprised by the emotion in his voice and there was a glassiness to his eyes that she thought might be unshed tears, but that seemed out of character for the hardened New Jersey Homicide Detective. Then he kissed her forehead before he brushed wet hair out of her eyes and off her face then tucked it behind her ears. The tender simple fatherly action as if she was a child more than his words made her feel cared for and safe.

She managed a weak smile as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders while tugging her close in an impromptu hug before releasing her so Nick and Greg could gently unbuckle the carabineers on the harness so the apparatus could be sent back down the line to Grissom. The boys each gave her hugs, kisses or smiles before she was passed off to their resident mother hen. Catherine wrapped a protective arm around Sara guiding her to the ambulance leaving the guys stayed behind to make sure Grissom got out okay. None of them were willing to let Gil or Sara's safety depend on someone outside their team.

As they got closer she spotted the pair of EMTs standing by the gurney waiting for their patient. She recognized the tall blonde as Sara's ex Hank Pettigrew standing next to a shorter unfamiliar Latino man. While the blonde man had two-timed Sara it surprised the older CSI to see Hank move forward visibly shaken seeing Sara's pale skin and unfocused gaze. As he began assessing Sara's condition Catherine began reassessing her opinion of him and decided Sara was in good hands after all because on some level he still cared about her. Catherine was privately concerned about Sara for her to allow herself to be manhandled without protest was an indicator of exactly how weak and cold the hypothermia had left the workaholic. Sara didn't say a word as Hank and his partner Manny began the steps necessary to raise her core body temperature.

"Sara this mask is the first step in the re-warming process. It's just warm, water-saturated air and it will help warm you from the inside out."

Leaning against the ambulance Sara breathed in and out of the mask slowly and deeply. While Manny and Hank used various electronic devices to take her vital signs like blood pressure and temperature.

"The next step is to get you out of these wet things, after you're in something dry we'll get you to the hospital."

"Cath can help with that." Sara insisted before Hank or Manny could begin unbuttoning her jeans, peeling off her blouse or taking off her shoes. Together the women got Sara out of the wet clothes and into a pair of dry standard blue coveralls. Sara settled back on the gurney exhausted. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax and accept that she was safe. All that she wanted now besides getting warm was to know Grissom was safe.

Catherine tucked the blankets around her co-worker and then stepped back allowing Hank to start strapping her down on the gurney and preparing her for transport. The silence was broken by a horrific blast and crash. Sara popped her eyes open and met Catherine's blue eyes. "Griss?" She asked her voice muffled by the mask, but Catherine saw the concern and wished she had some answers.

Stepping out of the ambulance the strawberry blonde looked around and found the police officer standing close by. His radio crackled then came alive with voices telling dispatch that the bomb had exploded and additional rescue crews would be needed on the scene. Standing there in shock Catherine tried to process the information it was like a terrible case of déjà vu.

She remembered the terror from the last time when the call came in that Grissom had been involved in a bombing. She turned to reassure Sara, but heard the electronic whine before she saw Hank began CPR on her friend. She'd planned to say something reassuring like I'm sure Gil is fine, but the words were stuck in her throat as she watched them try to restart her friend's heart.

Manny pulled out the defibrillator, flipping switches on the machine, while Hank opened the coveralls. "Charging 200." Hank took the paddles pressing them against Sara's pale skin. The zapping electrically jolt they delivered shocked Catherine so much she stepped backwards. The electrical whine changed to a soft beep.

"I've got a faint pulse. Manny get us to DP NOW!" The Latino EMT nodded as his partner's words and the emotion barely hidden beneath them. "Hang in there Sara." Hank pleaded quietly as he glanced from the pale brunette to the machines checking her vitals as Manny closed the doors rushing around to the driver's seat.

Catherine was in shock, unable to move or speak as the last quiet words Hank spoke reverberated in her head until a torrent of tears was unleashed as the ambulance pull away. She tracked the red taillights through the tears until the lights disappeared into the Las Vegas night. She was afraid for Sara, but wouldn't get any real answers until she got to Desert Palm. The desire to drive there was strong, but the concern she'd seen in Sara's eyes mirrored her own and she couldn't leave for the hospital until she knew what happened with the bomb. Both women needed to know if their guys were safe? Finally wiping away the tears that were rolling down her face she turned back to the blast scene she needed to find answers.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

Slowly Sara became aware of her body. She wasn't hot or cold, but not quite comfortably warm yet either. There was a familiar exhaustion verging on ache in her muscles, but she didn't doubt she'd be sore and moving would be painful for a few days. She was bruised and battered, but alive. Opening her eyes she took note of her surroundings the plain white walls and ceilings. The crisp cotton bedding and the steady hiss, beep and whine of machines around her. She was alone in her hospital room.

When they'd rescued Nick his hospital room had been filled with visitors and get well memorabilia. It hurt a little to be so alone. She'd expected at the very least to see Greg and Nick, but no one was there. Suddenly the memory of the bomb exploding came rushing back. They weren't here because they were hurt or injured. A single tear fell, then another until she was sobbing. It was hard to sob because each deep breath left her gasping at the pain in her chest. She wondered if the pain was from her heart breaking or actual physical discomfort. Sara was so focused on the pain she didn't hear the nurse's footsteps until she was there with an injection.

"Shh honey you need to rest. Everything will look better in a couple hours." Sara glared at the heavy set perky blonde but couldn't catch the woman's eye as she bent to insert the needle into the IV so Sara settled for glaring at her name badge. Tyree was written in bright pink and surrounded by pastel butterflies, ladybugs and dragonflies. Which made Sara think of Grissom, but before the tears could form the medication was already working pulling her back into a deep dreamless sleep.

Dr. Robbins leaned against the waiting room wall, he'd repeatedly tried to send the team home to get some rest, but no one had budged. Not that he was really surprised Sara had long ago found a place in everyone's heart so subtly that only her absence had them realizing how important she was to them. Looking around the room he watched the clusters of lab techs, cops and CSIs all waiting for word and their concern was almost palpable.

His attention switched from the people around him to the girl lying down the hall. Hank Pettigrew had waited for the CSIs to arrive so he could explain and reassure them that Sara was indeed alive and well. Not that what he said reassured her loved ones. The hypothermia had put enough stress on her body that her heart that had begun beating erratically until it stopped all together. The paramedics and ER doctors had stabilized her and now Sara was in the Critical Care Unit while the others waited to see her.

The Coroner understood their need to see Sara because it was the flip side of the grieving loved ones he saw everyday. This was one of those times when the reality didn't seem real until you could see and touch your loved one. It was the one thing the Crime Lab nightshift crew needed and had so far been denied. No amount of coercion or threatening had gotten the hospital staff to let any of them in to see her. The last word had been hours ago letting them know she was resting comfortably.

Shuffling over to Catherine he sat next to the woman who looked as exhausted as she probably felt. "Catherine these folks need to get some sleep and home would be the best place for them to get it. Sara's gonna need us all at our best to get this guy and take care of her over the next couple of days."

"She's gonna love that." Catherine smiled for the first time since Sara had disappeared. "I'll see what I can do, but I doubt some of them will budge." She'd glanced at the group in the corner, in unspoken agreement Warrick and Brass kept watch over Grissom, she and Greg focused on Nicky while Robbins and David kept an eye on everyone else.

Robbins nodded as he began his shifting gait across the room, Brass stood meeting the other man halfway. "Hey Doc you think between the two of us we could get Dr. Grissom into her room." Brass asked then grinning as Robbins smiled and nodded. Catherine spotted the pair as she got the last lab rat to agree to go home and wait for a phone call. They both wore mischievous grins with the kind of devious gleam in their eye that moms instinctively know and dread.

Robbins continued across the room to taking the now empty seat next to Grissom. The physician's eyes noted that Grissom seemed to have taken the brunt of wood shrapnel from the bomb blast. Luckily for them all it had only been a small amount of explosive under that stair, a poor man's version of the personal land mine. If someone had stepped on it both Gil and Sara would probably be dead now. Except they hadn't walked back up the stairs so when the bomb blew it wasn't been strong enough to do much more than blow fragments of wood. Everyone who'd been close to the stairs was covered in little cuts and contusions, but none were serious.

While the entomologist didn't really look any worse for the wear from the ordeal. Robbins knew that looks were deceiving because he'd looked into Gil's eyes. Only those brilliant blue windows to the soul revealed the injury subtle injuries to his soul. His friends had seen similar looks before on the hardest cases, but only three times did it seem this bad. The case with Sara's look alike Debbie Marlin, Holly Gribbs' shooting at a scene and Nick's abduction.

Looking at his friend sitting quietly on the uncomfortable chair staring at the paper cup in his hands studying the black coffee as if it held the answers he was seeking. Al realized that for Gil the pain of losing Holly Gribbs that first shift and the terror of watching Nick suffer in his underground coffin was incomparable to the agony of nearly losing Sara. Like their other friends the Coroner knew that the young woman was just as important to her supervisor as he was to her.

"Gil she's fine and we'll be able to see her in no time."

"We were nearly too late Al."

"You got there just in time Gil."

"Did I? Or am I already too late?" Gil's question confused both of his friends. Brass stood and gave Al a subtle nod of his head in the direction of the coffeepot. Robbins followed while Warrick took up the vigil next to Grissom.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** It's a darker story than others I've posted, no one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

She felt herself drifting up through the layers of sleep to wakefulness and wished she could stay in warm darkness that was enveloping her. The world of light and noise held no joy for her now if it meant something had happened to her family, the CSIs were the only people in her life who gave a damn if she was alive or dead. She remembered that the bomb had blown up and quite possibly taken most of that family with it. Sara wasn't sure she could face that kind of loss again. 

Each loss had gotten harder and harder. There was the car crash that had killed her grandparents. A loss that may have started the downward spiral that led to her father's death and her brother's eventual overdose until she was left without family ties. Each time the foster families she'd enjoyed living with had been taken away until she stopped making any effort to get to know them. She'd formed loose relationships in college and at the San Francisco lab. It was only here that she had connected to her co-workers on another level and for the first time in years she had a sort of family.

Brass and Dr. Robbins had become her surrogate Uncles, Greg, Nicky and Warrick her brothers, Catherine filled the holes left when her mother went to prison, but was more an older sister than parent figure. While the other lab rats and police officers were assorted cousins and friends. It was only her role with Grissom that caused confusion in the scenario. She didn't have familial feelings for him, except in the lets start a family way. He was more than a friend and mentor, but less than a lover. All she knew for certain where Grissom was concerned was that regardless of his role he was a vital part of her existence even if all he could be was her supervisor. Maybe that was why she had stayed holding onto the possibility Grissom would figure 'this' out long after common sense told her to give up.

The thought of losing even one of them hurt, but to lose all of them including Grissom had her chest constricting painfully. She wanted to know what had happened, but was afraid to learn the truth. In this case ignorance was bliss and in her denial she could pretend at least for now that when she opened her eyes everything would be okay. That she'd been alone because the guys were processing a crime scene and working on catching the bad guy, but they'd come visit before and after shift.

Sara wanted to drift back to sleep to return to a state of blissful unawareness, but a repeating scratching noise was keeping her awake. The first time she'd noticed it, she'd dismissed it as one of the nurses noting her vitals in the chart, but it hadn't stopped and it was keeping her awake. Opening her eyes a fraction to avoid the stabbing light she waited for her eyes to adjust so she could look for the source of the noise and tell it stop.

The noise stopped as the writer noticed her eyelids opening. She heard the chair scrape against the tile floor and something else made a small noise that she couldn't identify. The noises were followed by warm slightly calloused fingertips brushing hair away from her face. Sara felt herself choke on the déjà vu; Jim had done that at the crime scene before the explosion did that mean he was okay and Grissom wasn't? She felt the tears well again, but wouldn't let them fall until she knew.

"Sara?" If her eyes weren't fully open before than they were now. She had heard Grissom say her name in a thousand different ways over the years, but none had prepared her for this. It was a soothing balm to her conscience knowing he was alive, but the tone had triggered a cascade of feelings. There was the flicker of intense desire, a wish to comfort and be comforted which combined to set off a riot of butterflies in her stomach while the tears she'd been holding back dribbled down her face.

"Griss?" He leaned closer, blocking out some of the sunlight so she could see him better. Reaching out she touched him first to reassure herself he was real and then with a single finger she traced the abrasions that hadn't been there the last time she'd seen him. "Bomb?"

"Yeah. After they got us both safely out my flashlight slipped out of a pocket and bounced down the stairs and set it off. No one was seriously hurt." He caught the hand that had been near his face in his own larger hands. Her skin was still colder than usual, but warmer than it had been last night.

"Good."

"How do you feel?"

'Tired, thirsty, hungry and my chest hurts."

He nodded and she saw something flicker in his blue eyes giving them an intensity she didn't recognize. "I'm not surprised you haven't eaten or slept since before your last shift, but we'll have to check with the doctors' before you can have anything. I had them note on your chart in bold letters that you're a vegetarian and that means no meat." He stroked the hand he was holding, as he weighed how best to share the next part. "Honey your chest hurts because they had to do CPR and shock your heart, but Al assures me that's normal in cases of severe hypothermia and that you'll be good as new in a week or two."

He wasn't looking at her as he continued, though he continued to draw small circles on her hand with his thumb. "It scared the hell out of all us; to find you and then only have it be too little too late. Everyone wanted to be here when you woke up, but the Doctors and Nurse Ratchet out there wouldn't let anyone stay."

Looking into her expressive mocha eyes he saw the unasked question. "Brass and Robbins convinced them that as your Doctor I should be allowed to stay. Of course they neglected to mention that I'm a PhD not an MD."

She smiled at that, it wasn't a stunning smile, but it warmed his heart to see anything other than fear in her eyes. Sara wanted to ask more, to savor this side of Grissom, but the exhaustion was back and she couldn't seem to keep her eyelids up. "Close your eyes Sweetheart the guys and most of the lab will come back this evening after they move you out of CCU. So you should rest now because when you wake up everyone who loves you will be here."

Her eyelids fluttered closed, but opened up a moment later. He saw the fear, as if she was afraid this was a dream. "It's okay Honey you're safe and I'll be right here when you wake up." She gave a little sigh as she drifted back to sleep.

He thought Sara might have heard his little slip when he spotted the small smile on her face as she slept. He watched her even breathing for a few minutes until he was certain she was really asleep before sitting back in the chair and picking up the pen and paper he'd set aside. The scratching noise of his pen moving across the page started again. He didn't think about the past or the future. Today he just focused on the present, pausing every few minutes to watch her breathe or gently touch her hand or face to reassure himself that she was alive and warm, reminding himself that there would be plenty of time for everything else later, Sara was alive and healthy and he wouldn't let it be it too late.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers:** It's set Post Grave Danger so spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** No one beta'd so any errors our mine own. R&R let me know what you think.

* * *

Opening her eyes cautiously in case the lights were too bright, Sara was surprised when to find it wasn't that bright at all. She guessed by the weak light coming in through the windows it was late afternoon or early evening. This meant she had gotten more sleep today than she normally got over the course of a couple days. With that much sleep she should feel rested, but she didn't she still felt tired like when she pulled multiple shifts without sleep.

Looking around she noticed the differences from the last time she'd been awake. She no longer wore the mask with the warmed moist air, but still had an i.v. running fluids into her right arm. There was less equipment around her so it looked like at some point while she slept she'd been moved out of the Critical Care Unit into a regular private room. Her body was still sore and she was tired, but Sara felt much more like herself. After a quick patting of the bed around her, she found the remote to the bed and raised herself into a comfortable sitting position.

Grissom was still sitting in the chair next to her bed, wearing the same clothes he'd had on at the start of shift. He was sound asleep; making soft snoring sounds, his chin was tucked into his chest, while his arms were wrapped around a red leather bound journal with gold trim. She smiled as one of the things she'd wondered about the private man was answered. He snored. It wasn't loud, just a quiet humph as he breathed deeply.

While tempted to wake him Sara knew he needed his sleep. Watching him sleep it was easy to imagine him as a little boy staying up late to read so engrossed until he fell asleep. Her contemplation was interrupted when the noise he was making changed. It sounded like a whimper and based on her own experiences she guessed Grissom was having a terrible nightmare. It wasn't surprising that someone who didn't share much normally hadn't spoken about having them, but she didn't know anyone in their field who didn't have them at least occasionally.

"Sara." The word was whispered painfully and with so such sadness it broke her heart. As a rule she wouldn't try to guess what the subject of his nightmare might be, but after last night she had a good idea. She'd had plenty of nightmares after Nicky's abduction and now was watching Grissom have one that was probably about her disappearance.

"Grissom wake up." She called out. He didn't move and she could tell by his face that the dream was getting worse because it was making him more agitated and distressed. Sara would have moved off the bed to reach out to him immediately, but didn't want to pull the i.v. out. Moving towards the right side of the bed she was able to pull the bag off the stand. Slipping out of the hospital bed she grimaced when her feet contacted the cold tile under, but ignored the physical discomfort and moved towards him. Leaning close she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Grissom wake up."

Still he didn't respond to either her voice or touch. Her breath caught as the noises he started making sounded more like choked sobs. Moving her palm up to his cheek she tried again. "Gil I'm okay please wake up." He pressed his cheek into palm, but didn't seem to be waking up. "Baby please wake up for me." When his breathing changed she knew he was waking up finally so she moved her hand back to his shoulder before pulling away and getting back into bed.

Sara was shaken by what had just happened trying to ignore the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. None of her fantasies or years working with him had prepared her for how strong her reaction would be to watching him sleep, having nightmares or waking up. His first name and the endearment had slipped out before she could stop them. His cheek had been delightfully warm against her palm and she'd barely kept herself from doing more. She'd wanted to run her fingers through his hair, brushing her lips against his and looking into his fabulous azure eyes as he returned to her.

While he was coming back to the real world she tried to rebuild some of her defenses to him and regain the control over her impulses. The man had refused her invitation to dinner and resisted all of her signals of interest in him as a man for more than a decade. Sara had all but thrown herself at him over the years and the rejections stung her pride. She'd decided long ago that she wasn't chasing him any longer. The ball was in his court, it would be up to Grissom if anything was to happen between them.

He shifted in the chair and the book he'd been holding fell to the floor waking him up the rest of the way. His eyes opened and shut before he slipped his glasses off. Holding them gently with one hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose with the other. With his eyes closed he rolled his head in circles as he began to stretch the muscles that long hours in the visitor chair had stiffened. She watched as he pulled his body different ways listening to the quiet pops of muscle and bone worked the kinks out. The shirt he was wearing pulled tightly across his chest and shoulders giving definition to areas he normally kept hidden.

_He needs a good massage._ Sara thought briefly then tried to disregard the desire to offer him one and the itch in her hands to feel more of that warm skin against her own. Then he stood and her breath caught for a moment as her mind changed direction. Grissom always wore loose fitting clothes at work so when he stretched again her thoughts were hijacked, morphing into something altogether different when she caught a glimpse of enough of his anatomy to recognize that Grissom had nothing to be ashamed of in bed.

She was grateful his eyes were still closed so he didn't see the evidence of her interest; the rosy cheeks, darkened eyes and the nipples thrusting up from under the gown. Now that she was safely back in bed she hoped that by resettling the blankets and crossing her arms over her chest she could hide that sign of her arousal and hope that he'd just write the others off as symptoms of her hypothermia.

"Hey you're awake." Sara nodded her head; she wasn't sure what she could safely say in this state without risking over-talking and screwing up their relationship more than she had with the dinner invitation. "You're still hungry right?"

"Famished."

"Good. I'll be right back." Grissom stepped out of the room, but returned a couple minutes later with a cream colored cotton touristy tote bag with a picture of the Las Vegas skyline at night on one side. He wheeled the bedside hospital table over to her. Then like a magician pulling rabbits out of his hat, Grissom pulled out a placemat, two different sized thermoses and several plastic containers. After untwisting the containers' caps he poured small amounts of warm liquid into each of the plastic tops.

"Your Doctor is insisting you drink warm sweet drinks and warm food. Al's wife made this stuff up and dropped it off for you. This is honey sweetened mint tea and Miso soup."

"That was really nice of Mrs. Robbins'." She sipped the Miso soup which was perfect, just the right amount of spicy and creamy. It was only now that food was handy that she realized how ravenous she really was and how long ago her last meal was. Nibbling on the vegetables and diced tofu she thought about how the food was not only nourishing her body, but nurturing her soul. It reminded her of the chicken noodle soup she used to eat as a child when she was ill. Holding out the empty cup she smiled as he refilled it.

"Remind me to get the recipe I don't think I've seen you eat so much in ages." Grissom teased when he refilled both cups for the third time. He was glad Sara was eating; her Doctor had expressed concerns that her exhaustion and slight figure could be a negative factor in her recovery or fighting off things like pneumonia or infections. The implications were terrifying, they'd only just saved her from drowning, but the Doctor had suggested there were other ways they might still lose Sara.

It had been easy to promise to make sure she ate, had less stress at work and had more chances to rest. Deciding that he would do whatever was necessary to ensure she did just that. Even if it meant moving her into the townhouse for a few weeks. Not that having Sara close enough to touch twenty-four seven would really be a hardship now that he was determined to do something about 'this.'

"Sara we need to talk about some things before the others get here."

"Oh-kay." She picked up the cup of warm tea sipping the sweetened tea. The taste was as familiar and comforting as the green box with the bear family that it came in.

"We haven't caught the guy who took you." He paused waiting to see if this would upset her. She just nodded, taking another sip of tea and he wondered how she could take that information so calmly when the implications scared the hell out of him. A knock on the door prevented him from saying more.

"Detective Vega." Sara smiled a little in greeting.

"Hi Sara. I need to take your statement. Are you feeling up to it?" She nodded.

"I'll be just outside." Grissom whispered as he got up leaving the detective alone with his 'victim' for questioning. It was difficult to think of Sara that way and even harder to see her that way. Leaning against the wall outside her room he tried to process his feelings. Sara was the strongest person he knew after having already faced so much in her childhood it hurt him seeing her put through more pain and not being able to protect her.

The instinct to protect her was strong and one he'd fought for so long, almost as long as the attraction which might be something more. An automatic mental reflex shied away from what that something was. Forcing his mind back to his feelings for Sara he knew that for too long he'd been afraid of so many things; of losing Sara either to another man, her career or death. Even though he knew she was safe lying in a bed less than six feet away the fear gnawed at him, fresher now than earlier because of the nightmare. It wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of her in danger or dead, there'd been a constant stream of them over the years starting with the Strip Strangler case. For weeks he'd dreamt of Sara being attacked, raped and murdered.

They'd been getting steadily worse over the years. After Debbie Marlin's case he'd dreamt of her throat slashed or his murdering her. The call to pick her up at the station because of nearly getting a DUI had spawned dreams of twisted metal and screeching breaks. Then there were the ones after the attack at the state hospital were he watched unable to stop or save her as she was attacked, raped and had her throat slashed.

The new nightmare built on familiar themes from the others only this dream was also different. Along with the familiar fear there had also been unbearable despair when he admitted he'd been too late. That Sara was gone because he'd been too late to love her and too to save her life. He couldn't let that dream become a reality and the despair haunted him like his own ghost of Christmas past. Closing his eyes he whispered a prayer that he now he wasn't too late to rescue their future.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** Nope don't own them or anything like it.

**Spoilers: **It's set Post Grave Danger so some spoilers for Season 5 & 6

**Author's Note:** A quick thanks to wobbear for asking the question that made this story better and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed for your questions and support. We are nearing the end of this journey, but please keep an eye out for the sequel "Close Quarters" coming soon.

* * *

Soon after Vega completed his questioning the first members of the crime lab appeared to visit Sara. Grissom stayed near the door letting the newcomers have her undivided attention. Smiling as he watched CSIs and lab techs from all three shifts come in like moths to a flame. Soon her room was filled with well wishers, presents, flowers, cards and balloons.

More and more people joined them Grissom sighed and moved further away hovering on the fringe waiting for the others to leave so he could talk to Sara privately. As one visitor left it seemed three more arrived. He was torn; while he was glad their 'family' was showering her with attention, letting her know she had people who loved, worried about and would be there for her. It just frustrated him that they were keeping him from Sara.

Grissom watched Sara closely determined to keep his promise to care for her. While getting her to eat something had been a first step, he knew that work and rest were the areas she ignored most. Too many times in the last six years she'd worked on her days off, pulled multiple shifts on little or no sleep and somewhere along lost her sparkle. He was determined to be there to make sure that she got more rest no matter how much she fought him or denied her need for it and to see if the Sara who'd come to Las Vegas at his request couldn't be revived.

Years of working and observing her let him see exactly how much of her interaction with her visitors was a performance. Oh she was putting on her best 'I'm fine, really" act for her co-workers complete with smiles, laughter and her usually level of energy. It was all an act though he saw the cracks in the veneer. Sara wasn't fully recovered yet. Did they not notice the toll her 'I'm fine' act was taking on her? The way her eyes would start to drift closed only to fly open again. How forced her smile was because it never reached her eyes? Then there was the droop of her shoulders as if everything was too much.

Their co-workers and the lab rats could be exhausting on the average day, but today as they gathered in the hospital all the feelings of worry and relief were condensed and multiplied normal a thousand times. He'd been exhausted after the first ten minutes and wasn't quite sure how Sara had managed this long. Sara was all smiles giving each person the individual attention that had won her so many admirers, but in the process of reassuring everyone that she was fine he knew she was depleting what little energy reserves she'd built. Thinking of his promise he stepped forward.

"Okay guys Sara needs her rest."

"Griss." She complained, but the look in her eyes told him it was really a half-hearted protest more for everyone else's benefit. "I can go days without sleep everyone knows that."

"I know, but that's not happening today. Your Doctor wanted you to rest. Now thank you all for visiting, but you'll have to go now and see Sara tomorrow." Between the look he was giving them and his tone of voice no one argued as they exited her room with a chorus of goodbyes, feel betters and see you soons.

"You sure know how to clear a room."

"One of the benefits of being the boss."

"Hmm, but you've always been more than a boss to me." Sara's voice was sleepy as he straightened the covers around her. "I never sleep this much." Her words followed by a yawn.

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." He quoted the Irish Proverb as her eyes stayed closed, her breathing grew deeper and the tension eased from her face as she relaxed. He thought Sara looked much younger in body and spirit than she was awake. They sat like for a long time until he was certain that she wouldn't wake up. Grabbing the remote he gently lowered the bed to a sleeping position.

He needed to get going so he could stop by the house to shower and change clothes, but didn't want to leave. He wanted to just pull up the chair and watch her sleep, but the shift would be short handed and backlogged because of her abduction. Standing over her he touched her gently but hesitantly afraid that she'd wake and be unable to get to sleep again without exhausting herself.

Turning into the soft caressing touch that brushed the hair out of her face, Sara sighed as she breathed in her favorite scent. It was his scent and her body reacted to it, the way it always did. Her breath grew shallower, as her skin flushed and began tingly all over. Six years of increasingly erotic and frustrating dreams had taught her to enjoy the sensations while they lasted because the dream would end and in the cold light of reality they would quickly slip away like grains of sand when she only to disappear completely shortly after she opened her eyes.

Sara breathed in deep and then released the breath with a sigh that was warm on his skin. He hoped she didn't wake up, knowing Sara she'd be embarrassed if she opened her eyes now and saw her body's reaction to his presence. He left his hand on her cheek, while pushing hair back from her face while whispering soothing nonsense. He should move back the logical part of his brain argued, but the rest countered he didn't want to give up the contact yet. If asked he would swear it was really because she needed her rest, but he knew that he needed the reassurance that she was safe as much as she had needed reassurance after yesterday's scary events.

The last twenty-four hours had been a living hell and it didn't seem like to much to ask to let them have these few cherished moments of solace and comfort. Sara was already pretending she was perfectly fine and that everything was back to normal. He'd noticed the little cracks in her façade that spoke silently of hidden pains and fears. Until she'd told him about her parents he'd never fully understood had well Sara hid her pain and turmoil from those around her.

Their main suspect was missing and while Brass had put out an APB for the man it seemed he'd dropped off the face of the earth. Leaving Sara to move forward and pick up the pieces of her life alone. He'd hinted to Catherine about Sara's lack of family ties, but it was only now looking at her face in repose that he considered that recovering from this might be harder for her to overcome. So much harder than it had been for Nick because she didn't have the safety net or support network that would love her wholly and unconditionally while she was less than fine.

That was one reason why he resented what Steven Ray had done. Invading her apartment and looking at her things was a terrible violation. Reading her journals, getting to know this private woman and then making her private musings evidence in her disappearance was cruel. He didn't want Sara to retreat from the team, but knew she hated being pitied. He suspected her greatest fear was that the people at work might learn her secrets and begin to treat her differently.

Lady Heather had told him once that his greatest fear was to be known. At the time he'd dismissed the assessment; though her words had haunted him on the occasional sleepless night. Even before Nick's entombment and rescue that phrase had taunted him until he began opening up. Dinner with Sophia and forcing Sara to explain her anger had been some of the early steps.

While Sara could freely express her emotions and became the victim's voice, in the years he'd known her he could count on his fingers the number of times she'd done that for herself or spoken about non-work related subjects like family. Sara was as private as he was. She was very good at camouflaging her past because Sara was also afraid of being known and seen differently. When pushed and questioned Sara would reassure anyone who asked that she was fine. She'd repeated it so many times tonight on some level she might even believe it. Brushing his thumb against her cheek he knew that Sara would understand his greatest fear because it was similar to her own.

She sighed again and pressed her face deeper into his hand. In sleep the years receded and it was easy for him to see the child she'd been before the pain and tragedy forced her to grow up far too early. He supposed he owed her kidnapper a small thanks reading those couple of journal entries had given him some insight into the immensely private woman he worked with and loved. Insight he intended to use to show her he knew what to do now.

She shifted again and he thought she'd kissed the skin of his hand, but that thought was too dangerous so after pulling back he focused on her private hospital room. It was decorated with various things brought by his CSIs and techs, most had brought balloons and cards along with things to keep her entertained during her stay. The techs had brought in various forensic journals in their areas of specialty to be read either by Sara or her visitors.

It was the items brought by his team that had him smiling. Catherine had brought Sara an overnight bag, stuffed with a change of clothes, a basket full of lotions, potions and other necessities and the silk pajamas Sara was wearing now. Greg had brought in a small stereo and a selection of cds. Warrick brought in a chess board and a deck of cards. While Nick had brought a hand held video game already loaded with Tetris. Grissom's present was sitting with the tote bag on top of the bed tray waiting for him to give them to her.

Sara gasped and bolted into a sitting position. Sleeping beauty hadn't been woken up by his touch or the kiss he wanted to give. She'd been frightened out of a sound sleep. Her eyes reflected the fear she'd felt in the nightmare and the confusion on waking up in a strange bed. Her eyes focused on his face. "Gil?

"I'm here and you're safe Sara." He hadn't pulled away and that surprised her. Grabbing the remote she adjusted the bed so she could sit up again.

"I brought you something."

"You didn't have too."

"I did it because I wanted too. Here." He handed her the red leather book he'd had on his lap earlier and a beautiful silver pen. Of all the things people had brought this one seemed out of place and confused her.

"I don't understand."

"Sara the man, who took you, he sent me a letter with your apartment key and a list of dates in your journals. He made your journals evidence." Grissom hadn't been prepared for the grief stricken and panicked look in her eyes. "I had to read a couple of them to see if they had clues or if he was just taunting us."

"You read my journals?"

"Only two entries and only because I had to find you, but no one else has seen them and they're locked in my office safe instead of the evidence vault to protect your privacy."

"Thank you for that." Sara was embarrassed, her journals were private the place where she could vent her frustration, document her nightmares and express her feelings for the man who'd read them.

"Since I can't return them to you yet, I thought you'd like a new one."

"Thank you for finding me."

"Well I gotta get going or I'll be late for shift. I'll see you in the morning. Try and get some sleep. Call if you need anything." Grissom practically ran out the door before she could say another word. Talking about the journals had been embarrassing for them both she guessed. He knew where she stood now and had chosen work over spending time with her. Sara felt a tear trickle down her cheek because once again he didn't feel that she was worth the risk.

Opening the journal she held the pen poised to write out her pain when she noticed an envelope and his handwritten inscription on the first page. "Writing is the most powerful way I know of to sort through all the inner voices. Rebecca Maddox."

Intrigued she set the pen aside, opened the envelope, pulled out the letter and began to read what he'd written. The top line of the page had the date and location Desert Palms Hospital.

_Sara, _

_I'm watching you sleep and the words that have haunted me all night are starting to fade from a roar to a whisper. When I realized that you'd been taken from me I was afraid we'd be too late. We were so close to losing Nicky and it terrified me that we might not be as lucky. I also had to acknowledge that I might be too late for us. I don't want to be, its just I've never been very good at this and it seemed better not to risk our working relationship. _

_I only read the two journal entries because I was desperately following every lead. Doing everything in my power, whatever was necessary to bring you home safely. Please forgive me. I wouldn't have invaded your privacy like that, except that this time I thought that the end justified the means. I hope you can understand that._

_When I realized you'd been taken I was gripped by so many feelings, it was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. In those odd quiet moments of the case driving to your house, waiting for tests to print or watching you on the screen praying for a lead, I thought a lot. The idea of losing you was painful; I cherished my memories, but regretted the chances lost. I wondered if was too late for us to try and see where this takes us. _

_I hope you remember my inviting you to dinner. I have some ideas about what to do about this. I was thinking we could enjoy a quiet evening at my place and maybe compare notes._

_Grissom_


	18. Chapter 18

**Spoilers:** Should only be tidbits from aired episodes of season 6.

**Disclaimer:** CSI isn't mine, but I hope you enjoy this story anyway.

* * *

"Hey girl." Warrick was the first team member to walk through her door in the morning. After a quick peck on her cheek he began pulling muffins out of a plain brown bag in front of Sara on the movable table. "Grams heard about what happened, started cooking up a storm and sent these over for you and the team."

Sara smiled Warrick's grandmother was a great cook and an even better baker. The muffins were huge fluffy streusel topped blueberry mountains of culinary goodness. "These look fantastic War. Please thank her for me."

Greg and Nick came in each carrying several Starbucks cups, based on the smell there were several different styles of coffees. "Your tea Madame." Greg announced in a mock English butler tone, setting the large paper cup in front of her then pulling out packets of sugar, small containers of cream and stirring sticks out of a small bag.

"Tea Greg? I very disappointed in you." She was shocked he'd brought her tea? Greg was the lab's coffee connoisseur and anything else just seemed odd.

He nodded seriously understanding her surprise then added in a conspiratorial whisper in a terrible fake accent, "Dah Boss man said you can't have caffeine yet, so no coffee for you Missy."

Greg's funny voices were one part of his quirky humor she loved, so no one was surprised by Sara's laughter. "So where is the bug man?"

"He'll be here in a minute." Catherine sauntered in, pushing her sunglasses up so they sat on her head and dropping a small overnight bag on Sara's bed. "More clothes." She explained offhandedly grabbing the specialty coffee cup Nick was handing her. "So how you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Sara noticed the skepticism on her friends faces. "Really guys I'm okay." The awkward moment passed and by the time Grissom and Brass entered the room it was like a normal team breakfast with Nick, Greg and Catherine doing most of the talking as they jumped from topic to topic ranging to politics to entertainment and then to work, though she noticed they were carefully avoiding subjects they thought might upset her.

It was really very sweet and totally unnecessary, but rather than talk about the pink elephant in the middle of the room she just added occasional comments here and there. Mostly she just observed her friends; she noticed weariness in their posture, fatigue and smiles etched onto weary faces. They seemed different from a couple days ago. It seemed the case and her confinement was taking a physical and emotional toll on all of them, aging them before her eyes.

Nick was closest to her leaning on the wall near her bed. "So Sar when's the Sidle clan descending?"

"They aren't Nick." Her tone was neutral; she'd long ago accepted she didn't have a close knit circle of friends and family. She hated being the girl whose mother murdered her father, so it had always been easier to keep people so they didn't learn about her childhood. It had been easier until Grissom forced the revelation out of her. He'd accepted it and her without pity and the stigma of being a victim.

"Sara you should call them, your family should be here for you." Nick sat down on the edge of her bed. It troubled him that Sara wasn't calling her family. He knew she wouldn't want to worry them, but his family had been such a vital part of his recovery. He couldn't imagine getting through those first couple days after being buried alive without his folks and the team. It had felt so good at the time to just let someone else take care of things. "Something like this brings families together."

"Nick I don't have any family to bring together. I went into foster care when I was twelve." Sara looked at her cup; she didn't want to see the concern and questions in their eyes. They were investigators and would be curious, but she wasn't prepared to answer their follow up questions that would reveal even more. While her lack of family seemed to bother them all, Sara wasn't ready to share, for now it was enough for her that Grissom knew how bad her secret really was.

Nick felt bad this was something they should have known about a friend, someone they'd worked with for years. He thought they were closer than that and felt bad that he hadn't known not to mention it. Unsure how to apologize he was grateful when she tugged him close and hugged him tightly. When he pulled away Sara looked him in the eye so he knew she was serious "It's okay because I've got you guys and I'll be back at work before you know it."

Catherine had always thought they were building a family around Grissom, but watching as Sara was hugged by the boys and Brass gave her a kiss on the head, she rethought her position. They hadn't been a family before Sara arrived to investigate Warrick, even though they'd been a team for a couple years before that. Sara was the one that had taken the group of colleagues, while Grissom formed a team it was Sara who'd created a family.

Even when they were split into two teams it was Sara who worked with both teams and the lab keeping the ties between the two shifts strong. Now Sara would need them to help rebuild the strength that this ordeal had cost. Catherine was determined to help Sara and the team overcome this latest trial and become the family Sara needed and deserved.

"When you getting outta here?" Greg asked. "Cause the work's starting to pile up without you." Greg winked outrageously and Sara laughed again.

"The Doctor said Sara can go home tomorrow, but she's off work until she gets the all clear from her doctors." Grissom answered quietly meeting Sara's gaze, silently telling her that meant both her Physician and her Psychologist. With the slightest movement of her head, she nodded agreeing to see both without the fight she'd initially given him when the EAP sessions had been initially suggested. He breathed easier knowing she would get professional help.

Slowly the mood shifted back to the more comfortable team breakfast atmosphere they had earlier. It was comforting being together, talking, laughing and just enjoying being together. As they finished drinking their coffees and eating breakfast Sara began to really notice the exhaustion in her teammates. While she appreciated their visiting she didn't want it to impact either their health or their cases. "You guys need to head to bed and get some sleep."

"You kicking us out Cookie?"

"Brass you guys are running on what four hours of sleep, fast food and industrial strength coffee? Go home. Get some sleep; I'm not going any where."

"She's right guys." Catherine agreed in her most maternal tone. "Head home get some sleep and we can drop in before work." Sara caught the pointed look the other woman gave to Grissom which seemed to say 'that means you too mister.' He seemed to be ignoring Catherine so Sara raised a questioning eyebrow since she doubted he'd even gotten four hours of sleep since this started.

"You call if you need anything. Anything at all."

"Sure Nicky and take Greg without I'm not sure he should drive when he's had this much coffee." Sara watched as Warrick and Catherine tidied up, Brass was leaning back in the chair watching the news while Grissom appeared to be reading one of the ballistics journals Bobby had brought her last night.

"Hey Warrick can you check with the nurses' station and see if they have a phone book?"

"You aren't planning on tossing it are you?"

Sara grinned at his joke. "No, but if I'm going home tomorrow then I'll need to make a few calls this morning to make that place livable again."

"Like what?" Grissom asked looking up from the article.

"Well I'll need a locksmith to change my locks and maybe have someone out to do a security check to see about getting an alarm and stuff like that. Plus I'll bet there's fingerprint powder everywhere so I might have some cleaners out to help me." She kept her tone light, but just thinking of the mess and problems she faced at home was exhausting.

"You're supposed to be resting Sara." Grissom reminded her in a tone that no one usually argued with.

"And I will just as soon as I take care of everything."

"Sara your body has been through so much in the last couple days. Honey your heart stopped we nearly lost you." It was hard to miss the strain in his voice and the emotion he just barely had under control. Catherine had seen Gil's fear and knew that if Sara fought him the fear would turn to anger which would only make Sara angry. It wouldn't be in anyone's best interest to create more tension right now.

"Sara how bout you let us take care of everything. Jim and I will oversee it all from the cleaning to the security. Okay?"

It was the swirl of emotion in Gil's eyes and the tension in his body that had Sara swallowing her argument. She was prepared to remind them that she was capable of doing this; after all she'd been taking of herself for most of the last twenty-five years. Instead she nodded and in a resigned voice agreed. Trying to get everything done from a hospital did seem a little overwhelming. "Okay."

"Right so guys let's go get some sleep, so we can get started. There's a lot we need to do so Sara can come home." Catherine practically shooed the guys out of the room.

"Thanks Cath." The red head waved off the sentiment and followed the team leaving Grissom alone with Sara. "Griss?"

"Honey you need to rest."

"I've been resting. I've gotten more sleep in the last couple days than I did all last week. I don't want to rest anymore."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Well I read your letter and was hoping we could talk about that." He stepped closer until he could hold her hand. "Grissom I need to know that you aren't doing this because of what happened 'cause relationships based on intense circumstances never work."

"So we'll have to base it on sex then." Grissom finished the movie quote, smirking when Sara's mouth fell open in shock that wasn't the answer she'd expected at all. Looking at him she liked the way his blue eye twinkled merrily, his grin was infectious and his warm, calloused hand felt so right. She couldn't recall ever seeing him look so sexy.

Her heart was pounding and her skin tingled, but she wasn't sure if it was from his physical presence or him unexpectedly finishing the quote from Speed. Flashing a slightly flirty, but very naughty smile she was privately pleased that maybe the Bug Man wasn't as predictable as everyone thought. He was like an onion and she couldn't wait to unpeel the next layer.

* * *

**AN:** This is the final chapter of Water Hazard. Thank you for reading and reviewing. This isn't the end of the story though. Keep a look out for the sequel Close Quarters. Grissom and Sara will be juggling the demands of a working and romantic relationship. The team will be continuing the search for Steven Ray, but will they find him before he strikes again. 


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